If a hotly contested pace set the table for Fault in the March 17 Santa Margarita (G1), the race shape in Sunday’s $100,345 Adoration S. (G3), over a sixteenth of a mile shorter, was all against her. But the 3-5 favorite still uncorked a last-to-first rally to thwart 44-1 longshot Shenandoah Queen at the Santa Anita wire.
Fault was anchored at the rear as Mended got away with fractions of :24.16 and :48.40. Vale Dori, the defending champion and 8-5 favorite, did not show the expected speed in her comeback from a nine-month layoff. It was Shenandoah Queen who slipped through along the inside to accost the leader at the six-furlong mark in 1:12.87, at which point Fault had 4 1/2 lengths to make up.
Mended appeared to shake free of Shenandoah Queen in upper stretch, only to have her come again on the inside and Fault begin to roll wider out. No sooner had Shenandoah Queen put her head in front than Fault nabbed them both to win going away by a half-length. With Geovanni Franco back aboard, the Phil D’Amato trainee negotiated 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.84.
Shenandoah Queen was a length on top of Mended, who had the same margin to spare over La Force. Vale Dori was an uncharacteristic fifth, and the 79-1 Demigoddess trailed. Dalsaros was scratched.
Co-owned by Agave Racing Stable and Little Red Feather Racing, Fault is now a perfect three-for-three since joining D’Amato in Southern California. She was a graded-stakes turf filly for Michelle Lovell last season, capturing the Pucker Up (G3) and placing in the Sands Point (G2). D’Amato kept her on the grass for the February 17 Buena Vista (G2), then switched her to dirt for the Santa Margarita. The four-year-old has now bankrolled $618,795 from her 16-6-3-2 line.
Fault was bred by Claiborne Farm in Kentucky and sold for $120,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. By Claiborne stallion Blame, she is out of the stakes-winning Horse Chestnut mare Charming N Lovable.
Quotes from Santa Anita
Billy Koch of co-owner Little Red Feather Racing: “A lot of credit has to go to Mark Martinez of Agave Racing. He’s how we got involved with her. He wanted to partner and move the horse out here to California. He contacted us and we jumped at the opportunity to be involved. Phil and his team deserve so much credit too. They do such a good job and he’s the best in the business as far as I’m concerned.
“She did her thing today. It’s really incredible and impressive with those fractions to be able to close like that, especially after losing all that ground. She lost ground around the first and second turn so that’s impressive, I thought we were done, I really did. Geovanni Franco did a good job of keeping her out of trouble. The credit for this win really goes to my partners, all of Little Red Feather. When we offer these horses, they jump at the opportunity and that’s very important. We have a great crew, everyone knows each other and it’s really a family.
“We’re looking at maybe a trip to Belmont for her next race, we might take on Big Sandy.”
Winning rider Geovanni Franco: “I knew the pace was slow and the filly wanted to be closer but I decided to wait. I wanted to try and do what we did last time, which was to swing out and let her make her run. That’s what she really loves to do and she made the same run as last time.
“She’s really special.”
Jockey Tyler Baze on runner-up Shenandoah Queen: “Every time I got after her she really gave it to me. When she split horses, she really seemed to get pumped up and I know she liked it. She really accelerated through there. She’s nice!”
