Miss Fast Dancer held off Jadie Cahill by a scant nose Friday in the $11,550 Cascade Coffee Purse for fillies and mares at Emerald Downs.

Ridden by Troy Stillwell, Miss Fast Dancer ran one mile in 1 minute, 35 2/5 seconds and paid $7.60, $4.20 and $2.80.

Jadie Cahill, ridden by Gallyn Mitchell, rallied powerfully into the stretch and appeared to be headed to victory, but was out-finished inside by Miss Fast Dancer. A 3-year-old facing her elders, Jadie Cahill paid $5.40 and $3.60. Dah Gift was a distant third and paid $4.20, while 7-5 betting favorite Nancy Perkins faded and finished fourth.

Coincidentally, Stillwell and Mitchell were the winning jockeys in a dead-heat earlier on the card between Panatela and Jasmine’s Melody. They nearly did it again in the seventh, but the photo finish revealed Miss Fast Dancer about an inch ahead of Jadie Cahill.

One of the best comeback stories of the meet with 42 wins, Stillwell revealed in a post-race interview that he dropped his whip in the stretch while aboard Miss Fast Dancer. But the 5-year-old mare continued gamely inside to get the nod anyway, her third victory of the season and eighth in 30 career starts. The Kentucky-bred by Glitterman earned $6,353 to increase her total to $78,288 for owners Dean Essex and JTT Stables. Charles Essex is the trainer.

Track notes:

Panatela’s ($2.40) dead-heat with Jasmine’s Melody ($2.60) made her the meet’s first six-time winner. The 4-year-old fillies ran 5 ½ furlongs in a meet-best 1:01 4/5…An unidentified bettor made a $90,000 show wager on third-race winner Feels Like Rain ($2.60).

Despite missing with Jadie Cahill, Mitchell and trainer Doris Harwood still had productive evenings. Mitchell rode three winners and is second in the jockeys’ standings with 103 wins, while Harwood saddled two winners and is second among trainers with 54 wins. Ricky Frazier leads the jockeys with 143 wins and Tim McCanna is atop the trainers with 56 wins.

Racing continues Saturday with first post at 2 p.m.