Spendthrift Farm’s homebred Winding Way missed the break in Sunday’s Grade 3,
That didn’t stop the Malibu Moon sophomore from taking her stakes debut while
Winding Way’s connections had to withstand an objection from jockey Garrett
“How to give a trainer a heart attack in three easy steps,” trainer Carla
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“(Second step) Running down the lane green on her wrong lead. I think a lot
of that was just inexperience. We were testing her in a graded race to see if
she might be a Breeders’ Cup type horse. It looks like she’s getting closer now.
“(Third step, the inquiry) That made my blood pressure go up even more. I
mean let’s be realistic. They’re really being tough on me.”
In her two starts to date, Winding Way has led all the way home to score by 4
3/4 lengths in her maiden bow on June 10 at Hollywood Park and 7 1/4 lengths at
Del Mar in a July 21 optional claimer. That wasn’t the case in the Rancho
Bernardo, though, as she exited the gates in last after turning her head to the
side in the stalls just when the doors opened.
That left the way clear for Sugarinthemorning to take command, and the Candy
Ride four-year-old established fractions of :22 1/5, :45 and 1:09 3/5 while
pressed first by Glamorista and then Moonstruck Maya to her outside.
Sugarinthemorning answered every challenge and was still in the lead in
midstretch, but Winding Way was closing fast.
That dark bay miss was forced to circle the field rounding the turn, and
showed her lack of experience when coming in on Rumor, but proved her class in
overcoming all obstacles to finish the 6 1/2-furlong Polytrack event in 1:15
4/5.
“I thought we were ready, but when they went, she turned her head sideways
and we didn’t go anywhere,” Bejarano explained. “But I didn’t want to rush her,
so I just let her run away from there.
“Even though we were way behind, I had a lot of confidence in her. I work her
in the mornings and she is strong. She finishes so well. The last time I rode
her we went wire-to-wire and won by seven. This time she did it totally
different. All the way in the back. She’s special.”
Winding Way was worth $4.80, $3.40 and $2.60 as the
7-5 favorite. Sugarinthemorning was game in defeat, and it was another 1 1/4
lengths back to Rumor in third.
“I tried. I did all I could. The winner — she’s a runner,” stated
Sugarinthemorning’s jockey, Martin Garcia.
Gomez was obviously not happy with the stewards allowing the finishing order
to stand.
“(Winding Way) affected me,” he asserted. “My filly (Rumor) wasn’t exactly
full of run, but she was trying. And the winner made me change course a couple
of times. But the winner was just too full of run.”
Indian Gracey filled out the top four, while
Moonstruck Maya, Glamorista and Grade 1 winner Home Sweet Aspen completed the
order of finish.
The Kentucky-bred Winding Way is lightly raced with just three starts under
her girth, and has faced older rivals on each occasion. The winner’s share from
the Rancho Bernardo boosted her career earnings to $163,800.
Winding Way is out of the
stakes-winning More Than Ready mare More Than Pretty, making her a full sister
to unbeaten juvenile filly and recent Grade 2 Adirondack stakes victress Kauai
Katie. The duo’s second dam is the Forest Wildcat mare Pretty Livia, who also
produced stakes heroine Ingrid the Gambler.
This is also the female family of
Grade 3 winner Cimarron Secret and Grade 1-placed multiple stakes victress
Cojinx.
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