Ismene makes it look easy in Cal Breeders’ Champion

Ismene is being brought along carefully by trainer Bill Spawr, who believes she’ll stretch out (Benoit Photos) Undefeated juvenile filly Ismene opened Santa Anita’s meet with a bang in the $100,000 California Breeders’ Champion Stakes, solidifying her status as an exciting prospect for next year. The 3-5 favorite led throughout, disposed of an early challenge, and cruised to a 2 3/4-length victory beneath Mike Smith. Without ever looking like coming out of second gear, Ismene reeled off seven furlongs in 1:21 3/5 on the fast track to extend her record to a perfect three-for-three. “She’s extremely talented, to say the least,” said a suitably impressed Smith, who picked up the mount from the now-retired Pat Valenzuela. “What’s exciting about her is there’s room to improve. She’s learning to relax and to rate, and she wants to learn. She was a little fresh leaving the gate today, but she settled right down. I definitely think she can stretch out the way she’s improving.”

A homebred campaigned by Stephen Ferraro, Ismene was coming off a
wire-to-wire victory in the October 22 Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita. The Bill
Spawr trainee proved herself in open company that day, upending the
highly-touted Sister Moon.

Ismene didn’t appear to have a rival of that caliber back in restricted
company Monday. Breaking on top from the outside post 6, she quickly took
command through an opening quarter in :21 4/5. Belloma moved up along the inside
to force the issue, and was just a head behind Ismene as they reached the half
in :44 2/5.

But Ismene wasn’t discomfited by the pressure. Shrugging off Belloma turning
for home, the odds-on choice pulled clear under confident handling. Ismene left
them toiling through six furlongs in 1:08 3/5, and her final furlong was a
virtual victory lap. She coasted home and rewarded her supporters with $3.20,
$2.40 and $2.10.

Willa B. Awesome was best of the rest, followed by Warren’s Amber, Tangerine
Tickle, Almost a Lady and Belloma.

Ismene, a smart debut winner versus Cal-breds at Del Mar on August 13, has
now bankrolled $150,630.

Spawr believes that the daughter of Tribal Rule has a big future.

“Yeah, really (she has as much potential as any horse I’ve trained),” Spawr
said. “This morning I was thinking about the ones I had and I compared her to a
filly I had called Enjoy the Moment, who was really quick, but this filly will
run further than her. Enjoy the Moment was more of a sprinter and I thought
maybe she could carry it on, but she didn’t.

“But this one today showed us a lot because she relaxed so well, she schooled
well the last few days and in the paddock today, she was very nice to saddle and
she was just a lady on the track.

“She didn’t get upset at all and I thought she’s going to really relax and
run a big race. She has a tendency to get a little worked up, but not today.

“I thought about putting cotton in her ears; she sees things that are not
there. She sees that and she spooks from it, but she’s gotten better. As she’s
matured, she’s gotten better about those things.

“We’ve brought her along slowly. We hope that we can get her to where she can
run a route of ground and the only way I can accomplish that is to space her
(races) and just do what she wants to do, make her happy all the time.

“We’ll work with her, give her a week off and see what we have and then we’ll
decide what to do with her.”

Spawr hasn’t targeted any specific race for a two-turn debut.

“No — I don’t want to jump ahead of her,” the trainer said. “One great thing
about her is her owner; he’s on the same page as we are. He’s a trainer. He
understands. He said you run her today, you can run her in a month from now or
two months from now. You just do what’s right for her. He makes things happen.”

Ferraro in turn complimented Spawr’s approach.

“I think she took a step forward today,” the owner/breeder said. “Bill’s done a magnificent job. I’ve
definitely had thoughts about her three-year-old year, but in the end, it’ll be
Bill’s decision.

“Hopefully, she’ll be an Oaks-type filly. It’s very difficult to
come up with a filly like this and it’s a very difficult game. You better love
it, I’ll tell you the truth.”

Produced by the winning In Excess mare Never to Excess, the dark bay California-bred
is a full sister to the stakes-placed Oonga Boonga. Her second dam is Grade
2-placed stakes victress Margaret Booth, and she comes from the immediate family
of Grade 3 scorer Lucky J. H.

Ismene’s third dam is noted matron Careless Notion, who is responsible for
Grade 1 winners Cacoethes and Fabulous Notion, herself the dam of Grade 1 queen
Fabulously Fast. Champion turf mare Fiji, multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire
Subordination and Grade 1 star Careless Jewel are other notable descendants.

Got Even surprised his connections too (Benoit Photos) In the companion $100,000 California Breeders’ Champion Stakes later on the card, Got Even surprised a field of colts and geldings at odds of 12-1. While 2-1 favorite Stoney Fleece never got in contention after bobbling at the start, and second choice Motown Men was virtually eliminated by his bad break, Got Even was busily running his rivals off their feet. Ridden by Garrett Gomez, the Peter Miller pupil sped through fractions of :22 and :44 2/5, and opened up through six furlongs in 1:08 1/5. The dark bay gelding was ridden out en route to his 4 1/4-length tally, completing seven furlongs in 1:21 1/5 and paying $27.20, $12.40 and $7. “I didn’t really expect him to show that much speed,” Gomez said, “but he was doing it well, with his ears up. I knew he was shortening up and I really didn’t know what to expect, but he was able to clear ’em and stretch ’em out pretty good. The way it worked out, he took most of the run out of ’em. When we turned for home, I went ahead and asked him for what he had. When we passed the eighth-pole, he kind of flattened out a little bit, but he had enough left.”

The 17-1 Exotic Slew edged Passing Game by a nose for the runner-up spot.
Next came Johnny Be Mine, Stoney Fleece, Crimson Giant, Motown Men, Heart Fever
and Forever Freedom.

Owned by Altamira Racing, Bruce Chandler and F U Stables, Got Even appeared
to have class issues going into the opening day stakes. The California-bred took
five tries to break his maiden, just getting the job done when dropped in for a
$40,000 tag at Santa Anita on October 10. Got Even then romped against starter
allowance foes at Hollywood Park, but faded to eighth when stretching out,
trying turf, and rising in class in the Grade 3 Generous last time on November
27. He was beaten 14 1/2 lengths by the victorious Stoney Fleece on that
occasion, but returned the favor here. His first stakes coup advanced his
scorecard to 8-3-0-0, $105,800.

“He likes this racetrack,” Miller said, “and he’s gotten better and better
since we gelded him at the Del Mar meet, and that’s the only thing I can really
point to that turned him around. I was watching the race and I kept saying,
‘When’s he going to stop?’ and he never did.

“I don’t know where this race came from. He really ran a big race when he won
the starter race at Hollywood, and I thought if he could duplicate that race
he’d have a big shot, but he surpassed that. He just flew around there.

“I told Garrett (Gomez) if he breaks sharp, they might not respect us and
they might let him go. I don’t know that that was the case. I just think he
might have outrun them. He was smokin’, :22, :44 and I was saying, ‘This isn’t
going to last.’ And then I kept seeing no one was coming, so I left it up to
Garrett. Garrett’s such a great rider. I just said, ‘If you break sharp and they
leave you alone, fine. If they send hard, sit second or third.'”

Got Even, a $14,000 Barretts October yearling, was bred in California by
Madera Thoroughbreds. The son of Stephen Got Even is out of the stakes-placed
Kathryns Birthday, a daughter of Blare of Trumpets. Family members include
Belmont Stakes shocker Da Tara, Grade 1 winner Private Persuasion, dual
classic-placed Grade 3 hero Denis of Cork and reigning Grade 2 Indiana Oaks
scorer Juanita.