Warren’s Veneda romps in Santa Margarita

Warren’s Veneda could face the boys at Charles Town in her next start (Benoit Photos) Warren’s Veneda continued her domination of Santa Anita Park on Saturday with a 7 1/4-length romp in the $400,250 Santa Margarita S. (G1) with jockey Tyler Baze along for the ride. “I was very confident. I was on when she broke her maiden a few years ago,” Baze admitted. “She is so impressive. The last three times I’ve ridden her she just does things so easy. I haven’t got to the bottom of her yet. There’s so much horse under me and she just does what she needs to do to win. She goes out there and has fun and I just try to keep her happy. She takes me where she wants to go.” The massive chestnut mare bided her time in the rear of the pack early as Cassatt (Tapit) set an opening quarter in :23. Warren’s Veneda began moving up four wide while the leader was getting outside pressure from Dame Dorothy (Bernardini) and Uzziel (Harlington) as she recorded the half-mile in :46 3/5. Cassatt was still in command entering the turn, but Dame Dorothy had begun to fade. Uzziel ranged up to run in tandem with the pacesetter and was soon joined by Warren’s Veneda to her outside. Cassatt was already tiring upon hitting the lane, but Warren’s Veneda was just hitting her stride.

The California-bred five-year-old easily pulled away in the stretch while
drifting in to finish 1 1/8 miles on the fast main track in 1:48 3/5. Trained by
Craig Lewis for owner/breeder Benjamin C. Warren, she
returned $5 as the 3-2 favorite off easy scores in the Paseana S. and Santa
Maria S. (G2) to start the year.

“Usually, if you’re sitting midpack horses won’t flick
their ears back and forth and just relax but she was flicking ’em back and forth
and was totally relaxed,” Baze said. “Craig tells me she’s only getting better and she proved
it today.

“She’s special,” the rider added. “She’s named after Mr. Warren’s late wife
so I know how special this is for him.”

“Out of our 800 horses, that’s the best win, the biggest,” Warren stated.

Warren’s Veneda is now 22-8-3-5
from three seasons of racing and has banked $827,612 in career earnings. The
versatile mare has won on dirt, synthetic and turf during her time on track,
boasts two other stakes scores, and eight black-type placings including the past
two runnings of the Bayakoa S. (G2).

“I was pretty confident
that she was going to win but I didn’t think that she would be that dominating,
because I thought the two Eastern fillies looked awful good on paper,” Lewis
said. “We’re thinking about (the $1.5 million) Charles Town Classic ([G2]
against males on April 18). We’re going to have to take on some pretty tough
boys, but she could be up to the task.”

“I’ve been fortunate
in my career to have a lot of good horses,” he added. “I don’t know if there could ever be a
better victory than when Cutlass Reality defeated back-to-back (Kentucky) Derby
(G1) winners (and Horses of the Year) in the Hollywood Gold Cup (H. [G1] in 1988), Alysheba and Ferdinand. That one’s
got to be in my mind forever.

“Larry the Legend in the (1995) Santa Anita Derby (G1); I’ve got
some good moments, but this was definitely a good one.”

Warren’s Veneda is the first registered stakes scorer out of the winning More
Cal Bread (Flying Continental). Her second dam is Grade 3 heroine Nature’s Way (Nain
Bleu), and this is the same female family as Grade 3-placed stakes victor
Devoted Alliance (Devoted Ruler).

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