Despite enduring the stiffest stretch challenge of her career, odds-on favorite Sircat Sally pulled out yet another victory, her seventh in as many starts, in the $200,345 Honeymoon (G2) at Santa Anita on Saturday.
Under Mike Smith and a rating second behind outsider Tap It All to the far turn, Sircat Sally kept Pacific Wind bottled up with nowhere to go a she bid for the lead approaching the quarter pole. Although she opened up a length with a furlong to go, Sircat Sally had to dig deep to fend off Beau Recall, doing so by a half-length to remain undefeated for owner-breeder Joe Turner.
The 3-10 choice in a field of six three-year-old fillies, Sircat Sally returned $2.60 after completing 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:46.92.
“Her turn of foot was there when I turned her loose,” Smith said. “The filly that ran second, I take my hat off to her because she made a run today but the good ones, they just find a way to win.”
Beau Recall, who had also fallen short of Sircat Sally in the $94,000 China Doll and Senorita (G3) earlier in the season, again settled for silver. Pacific Wind, whose momentum was stalled at several crucial points during the running, was 1 1/4 lengths behind in third. Zaffinah, La Force, and Tap It All completed order of finish.
Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Sircat Sally has now earned $528,860. Starting off her career with a five-length maiden score on dirt at Del Mar against California-breds, the daughter of surf Cat next won the $100,000 Soviet Problem by 12 lengths on the dirt at Los Alamitos before switching to the grass for the California Cup Oaks, which she captured 2 1/4 lengths. She’s now taken five in a row on the grass, including the Providencia (G3) in addition to the aforementioned China Doll and Senorita.
We’re going to Del Mar, so there’ll be plenty of stuff for us to look at down there,” said Hollendorfer, referring to the San Clemente (G2) and Del Mar Oaks (G1).
In the $201,035 Summertime Oaks (G2), the Bob Baffert-trained Faypien tracked in second behind Sheza Chattykat to upper stretch, seized control and held sway in the final sixteenth to win by a head while in between Spooky Woods and Mopotism. The 7-2 second choice in the 1 1/16-mile fixture, Faypien paid $9.
“When I saw Selcourt scratch I knew that Sheza Chattykat was the only speed,” Bejarano said. “I knew they would go to the lead and try to take the race. I wanted to put her in the race right away and go from there. I was able to find my position right away and she relaxed, she was comfortable. I waited as long as I could.
“When I came to the stretch, it was tough. She tried every step and I knew Mopotism was flying in the end. She deserved to win because she was working really hard. She tried with every step.”
Mopotism, a 10-1 chance, finished a half-length ahead of Spooky Woods, who was disqualified and placed fifth after drifting in and interfering with 13-10 favorite It Tiz Well in the stretch. Majestic Quality was elevated to third. The order of finish was rounded out by It Tiz Well, Spooky Woods, Sheza Chattykat, Goseecal, and Noted and Quoted.
Owned by Susan Chu and Charlie Chu, who race as Baoma Corporation, Faypien has now earned $205,680 from a line of 4-3-0-1. Third in her March 11 debut, she rebounded to graduate by more than four lengths going seven furlongs in late April, and preceded this with a half-length score in the $78,000 Angel Flight on May 14, also at seven furlongs.
Bred in Florida by Off the Hook LLC, Faypien was a $720,000 OBS April two-year-old but. She’s by Ghostzapper and out of the stakes-winning Mighty Eros, by Freud.
