Arcadia Stable’s Footlights, perhaps taking her queue from Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches, overtook Preemptive Strike on the final turn Thursday afternoon, then sprinted away from the field to win the 66th running of the Grade 1, $150,000 New York Turf Writers Cup Steeplechase Handicap for older horses at two miles and three furlongs over National Fences by 11 ½ lengths in 4:33.01 over firm going.

Like Rags to Riches, who was the first filly to win the Belmont Stakes in 102 years, Footlights enjoyed a break in the weights from the colts and geldings in the New York Turf Writers Cup.

Her edge, however, was much bigger.

The seven-year-old Pleasant Tap mare, trained by Roger Horgan and ridden by Xavier Aizpuru, carried the lightest load of the eight runners. She carried 133 pounds, getting a 29-pound spot from high-weighted favorite, Mixed Up, the 2006 New York Turf Writers Cup winner.

“I guess this is the year to do it (referring to Rags to Riches defeating the males in the Belmont Stakes),” said winning trainer Roger Horgan of his first victory in this race. “She carried 133 pounds, and obviously, liked the course. We wanted to go in the `two other than’ up here, but it didn’t fill. (Aizpuru) gave her a fantastic ride. She jumped so perfectly.”

Preemptive Strike and jockey Paddy Young opened a large early lead on the field, which contented itself to remain in a tight pack. But with seven furlongs to go, the gap narrowed to about six lengths.

Preemptive Strike, tiring under the heat and 152 pounds, stumbled over the next-to-last fence, lost action shortly thereafter and left the course. Footlights quickly took the lead into the far turn, and with the lighter load and the hot, humid weather, it was going to take a Herculean effort to catch her with one jump to go.

That simply didn’t happen.

“She got a big pull in the weights from everyone,” Aizpuru said. “Still, she had to bring her A-game. She was fantastic throughout the race. She felt comfortable and jumped great. I decided to close up on the leader (Preemptive Strike), because he can be tough if left alone. I didn’t want to give him too much of an advantage.

“She’s a tough mare. She had to step it up today, and she did.”

Footlights returned $18 to win. It was the seventh victory of her 30-race career, and by far, her biggest.

Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard tried for his 13th NY Turf Writers Cup with Mixed Up, who ran fifth, Sweet Shani (NZ), who was sixth and runner-up Underbidder, was went off at better than 28-1.

“(Mixed Up) did his best, and was able to move up to second at one point,” Sheppard said. “But he exhausted himself getting there, especially in a race this long, where he carries 162 pounds in 90-degree heat. That’s a little bit more than he can handle. These horses are not machines.”

The Looper was third, followed by Gliding (NZ). Class Vantage was pulled up before the eighth fence and vanned off, while Best Attack, Divine Fortune and Orison were scratched.

The steeplechase season returns to New York on September 22 with the first running of the Grade 1 Lonesome Glory Stakes at Belmont Park. The $150,000-added stakes will be a prep for the Grade 1, $300,000 Breeders’ Cup Grand National, to be run October 20 at Far Hills, N.J.