LAUREL, MD. 11-11-11---Multiple stakes winner Suzzona won with a workman like performance in Friday’s second race at Laurel Park, a $35,000 allowance race, holding off Miss Oil by a neck as a 2-5 favorite with Julian Pimentel aboard in a 5-1/2 furlong test. She will make her next start in the Lightning City Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on December 3, a race she won a year ago.

The 7-year-old is six-of-eight on the grass in 2011 for trainer Benny Feliciano, including wins in The Very One Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, the Candy Éclair Stakes at Monmouth Park and the Turf Amazon Handicap at Parx Racing. Her only off the board performance occurred in the Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland last month.

“This wasn’t her best performance but after that last race I gave her some time off,” Feliciano said. “I walked her for 10 days to let her recover. We were going to breeze her and then go to Tampa but this race came up on the overnight and it was too good to pass up. I was a little concerned because she waits a little bit going to the second wire but she did enough to win it.”

Feliciano claimed the daughter of The Name’s Jimmy in April 2009 and turned her into a winning machine. Suzzona has won 15 times in 25 starts with earnings of $516,820 in the Feliciano barn, including four stakes.

“I have had successful claims but not one who wins as consistently as this one,” added Feliciano. “When we first claimed her we always put her on the lead and she would run well but would hang and couldn’t beat the stakes horses. Now that we take back and let her make one move she stepped up. Julian was actually the one who made the suggestion and was clearly correct.”

The 46-year-old Feliciano is known for his success with sprinters as Crossing Point, Baby Shark, Ameri Brilliance, Splendeed and Oops I Am held track records during their careers.