10-1 Sheza Smoke shows up
favorites in Senorita
Ignored at odds of 10-1 off a fifth in the March 8 China Doll, Sheza Smoke
Show parlayed a beautiful trip into an upset of the principals in Saturday’s
Grade 3, $101,250
Senorita
Stakes at Santa Anita. Jockey Joe Talamo masterminded a ground-saving
passage before tipping out in the stretch, and the Peter Eurton filly surged
home to spark a $23.20 win payout.
In the opening stages, 7-2 second choice Clenor was pulled up when jockey
Tyler Baze felt that something was amiss. Meanwhile, Disregarded served as the
controlling speed through splits of :23 2/5, :47 and 1:11 on the firm turf.
Sheza Smoke Show was settled along the fence in midpack early, but advanced
smoothly without having to leave the rail. When Disregarded tried to deliver the
coup de grace in the stretch, Sheza Smoke Show then came out to offer her
challenge and swept past to complete the grassy mile in 1:35 1/5.
Famous Alice, the lukewarm 3-1 favorite, closed for second, 1 1/4 lengths
adrift of the winner. Morning Fix caught the tiring Disregarded for third. Miss
Machiavelli, Sushi Empire, Burning Arch, Lemon de Oro and Rovenna rounded out
the order under the wire.
Clenor was apparently in good shape back at the Doug O’Neill barn, according
to a post on the stable
Facebook page.
“Clenor is fine,” Team O’Neill reported. “Tyler thought she didn’t feel fluid
as usual, and as a precaution pulled her up. She jogged off fine and the vet is
looking her over now.”
Campaigned by G. Biegler, J. Border, S. Eberwine, R. Exline, R. Exline and G.
Zubok, Sheza Smoke Show has now earned $138,438 from her 6-3-0-1 line. The
three-year-old daughter of Wilko broke her maiden in her third try, taking an
about 6 1/2-furlong dash on the downhill turf January 4, and promptly captured
an entry-level allowance at this course and one-mile distance January 31. That
earned her a tilt at stakes company in the China Doll, where she was beaten a
couple of lengths by Diversy Harbor and Nashoba’s Gold. Unraced in the interim,
she entered the Senorita off a 3 1/2-month holiday.
Sheza Smoke Show was bred by Butch Rice in Kentucky. A $25,000 Keeneland
January yearling, she brought $100,000 as an OBS March two-year-old. Her dam is
the stakes-winning A. P Jet mare Avery Hall, and her second dam, Royal Form, was
also a stakes victress. Sheza Smoke Show hails from the family of multiple Grade
2 scorer Dance Floor, whose four Grade 1 placings include the 1992 Kentucky
Derby and Travers.
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