LEXINGTON, KY (October 26, 2012) – Dan Considine and Steve Snowden’s Sweet Cassiopeia emerged from a tight pack of horses in upper stretch and went on to win the featured $59,000 Hermitage Purse for fillies and mares by a neck over Queen’s Award before a crowd of 12,247 on Friday afternoon at Keeneland.

Trained by Bill Connelly and ridden by Corey Lanerie, who posted his third victory of the afternoon, Sweet Cassiopeia covered the 6½ furlongs on the main track in 1:15.65.

The victory was worth $35,400 to the 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Five Star Day out of the Salt Lake mare My Sweet Caroline. Sweet Cassiopeia improved her record to 15-6-4-2 and boosted her earnings to $327,520.

Sweet Cassiopeia rewarded her backers with payoffs of $7, $3.60 and $2.80. Queen’s Award, ridden by Marcelino Pedroza, returned $3.60 and $2.60 with Zermatt finishing third another three-quarters of a length back under Julien Leparoux and paying $2.60 to show.

Saturday is the final day of the 17-day Fall Meet with a 10-race program beginning at 1:05 p.m. (ET). Highlighting the card is the 55th running of the $150,000 Fayette (G2) at 1 1/8 miles on the main track. The Fayette is scheduled as the ninth race with a 5:21 p.m. post time.