Horse Racing Analysis: Santa Maria Handicap & Las Virgenes Stakes Results
by Patricia Woo | Feb 15 2010
Some of racing's best fillies and mares were in action on Saturday, Feb 13 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. In the $250,000 Gr. 1 Las Virgenes Stakes, Kentucky Derby prospect Blind Luck lined up against other 3-year-old fillies, while in the $250,000 Gr. 2 Santa Maria Handicap, Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic champ Life is Sweet was finally making her 2010 debut versus 4-year-olds and up.
With a closing surge befitting her 2010 Kentucky Derby hopeful status, Blind Luck charged from last to first to win the 1-mile Las Virgenes Stakes. After breaking from the rail, Blind Luck, with Rafael Bejarano aboard, settled behind the pace while the duo of Switch and Tyler Baze went right to the front. Longshot Summer Games, Evening Jewel (ridden by Victor Espinoza) and Crisp tracked the leader. Halfway through the race, Blind Luck had fallen back to last place while Evening Jewel continued to pursue Switch. And in the homestretch, Evening Jewel made her move, taking over the lead, and looked to be on her way to victory. But Blind Luck, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, managed to make up her four length deficit in a hurry, nosing out the hard-running Evening Jewel by the slimmest of margins to capture the $150,000 purse for first place. Her winning time was 1:35.98. Crisp and Summer Games trailed.
Blind Luck, a Pollard's Vision filly, came into the race off another Grade 1 victory, the $400,000 Hollywood Starlet Stakes at Hollywood Park on Dec. 20; Hollendorfer has indicated that the Santa Anita Oaks on March 6 will be his trainee's next target.
In the Santa Maria Handicap, Life is Sweet was also looking to add to her last win of 2009 - the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic - in her long-awaited debut as a 4-year-old. But she was facing tough competition from British invader St. Trinians as well as stablemate Zardana. And without a strong pace, the pairing of Life is Sweet and Garrett Gomez was already at a disadvantage and raced at the back of the pack early on while Zardana, Mushka and My Baby Baby led the field at the 6-furlong mark. Then, St. Trinians, with Joel Rosario aboard, took off from her fourth-place stalking position into the stretch and charged into the lead. And despite Life is Sweet finally making her move from the back of the pack, she could only catch My Baby Baby for second place. Zardana, Mushka and Once Upon a Grace rounded out the order of finish. St. Trinians completed the 1 1/16-mile course in 1:41.73; her margin of victory was 1 ¾ lengths.
Unbeaten in three races going into the Santa Maria Handicap, the 5-year-old Mike Mitchell-trained St. Trinians will now set her sights on undefeated Zenyatta in the Gr. 1 Santa Margarita Handicap on March 13.
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