After City to City could do no better than fourth as the 9-5 favorite in the
Grade 2 Robert J. Frankel Stakes on New Year’s Day, bettors let her go off at
8-1 in Monday’s Grade 2, $150,000
Buena
Vista Handicap. But the classy turf mare found a more favorable scenario in
the Presidents’ Day feature at Santa Anita, and prevailed in a blanket finish to
repay her loyalists with $19, $7 and $5.20. At the same time, City to City was
giving some compensation to her Hall of Fame trainer and co-owner Jerry
Hollendorfer, who was out of luck in his trip to Oaklawn Park with Longview
Drive for the first division of Monday’s Grade 3 Southwest Stakes.
Campaigned by Hollendorfer in partnership with William DeBurgh and Mark
DeDomenico, City to City thrived on the cutback from nine furlongs to a mile on
turf, and the closer was also helped by a searing pace. Briecat and Sweetly
Peppered tore off in a speed duel through splits of :22 2/5, :45 3/5 and 1:09
3/5. Royal Ascot Group 2 winner Strawberrydaiquiri stalked in third in her U.S.
debut for Ben Cecil, but City to City sat farther back in midpack with new rider
Corey Nakatani.
Strawberrydaiquiri launched her bid at the top of the stretch and took over
from the spent pace factors, only to find City to City rallying smartly.
Although Strawberrydaiquiri tried to respond, her lack of race fitness might
have told in the crucible of the final furlong. City to City struck the front,
and was in turn accosted by the late-running Up in Time. But the deep closer
could not quite get there, as City to City stuck her head out and kept it there
crossing the wire. The winner stopped the teletimer in 1:34 on the firm turf.
“We were hoping that there would be some legitimate pace in the race,”
Nakatani said, “and in a mile race there always is. This filly was doing
fabulous coming into the race. I couldn’t have been in a better spot and the way
the race developed was perfect.
“I felt I won the race, but Brice’s (Blanc) horse (Up in Time) was flying at
me and I wasn’t sure if we would hold on. When that filly came to her she
actually started to run again. I just made sure I had enough horse to get to the
position I wanted to be in and she ran a big race.”
“He’s the best rider on the turf,” assistant trainer Dan Ward said of
Nakatani. “He worked her three times; he liked her, so you didn’t have to tell
him anything. I don’t think she has a very long run and you have to wait (to
make your move).
“There was a big weight shift from the last race,” Ward added. “Last time (in
the Robert J. Frankel) she was carrying five pounds more than anybody else (as
the 123-pound highweight) and that makes a big difference. A mile and an eighth
maybe is not as good for her as a mile.”
“She (Up in Time) ran a very good race,” trainer Simon Callaghan said, “and
these close losses are heartbreaking, what else can we say? She ran great. It’s
just disappointing that she came so close.”
Up in Time was a half-length ahead of Wild Mia, who speared through along the
inside to rob Strawberrydaiquiri of third, also by a half-length. Cambina
rattled home from last for fifth, trailed by 3-1 favorite Vamo a Galupiar, So
Belle, Andina, Camille C, Sweetly Peppered and Briecat. The also-eligible Secret
Cove stayed in the barn.
City to City was registering her fourth stakes score, and her third at the
Grade 2 level, upping her mark to 24-7-5-5, $503,491. Successful in last year’s
Grade 2 Palomar Handicap as well as the Grade 2 Providencia and the China Doll
in 2010, the five-year-old chestnut has also placed in seven stakes, including
the Grade 2 Las Palmas, Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap, Grade 2 Honeymoon
Handicap and the Grade 3 Senorita.
Ward said that City to City could step up in trip again for Santa Anita’s
upcoming stakes in the turf distaff division — the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes at
1 1/8 miles on March 25 and the Grade 2 Santa Barbara Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on
April 21.
Bred by Dr. D. Michael Cavey Jr. in Kentucky, City to City has toured the
auction ring twice. The daughter of City Zip brought just $15,000 as a Keeneland
November weanling, and DeDomenico purchased her for $50,000 as a Washington
September yearling. She is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Purrfect Punch,
the dam of stakes scorer Splendid in Spring.
City to City was produced by the winning Storm Cat mare Stormbow. The
winner’s second dam, Rainbow Two, is a full sister to two-time Canadian champion
Rainbow Connection. A noted matron, Rainbow Connection is herself the dam of
three-time Canadian champion Rainbows for Life, Group 2 queen and multiple Grade
1-placed Colour Chart and Canadian stakes winner Always a Rainbow. Colour Chart
went on to produce champion Tempera, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine
of 2001, and multiple Group 3 scorer Equerry. This is also the family of
multiple Grade 1 victor White Heart and Canadian champion Comet Shine.