Streaming takes center stage in Hollywood Starlet

Streaming was just supplemented to the Starlet off her debut maiden score (Benoit Photos)

Although Streaming was a debut maiden winner for Hall of Fame trainer Bob
Baffert, the blueblood was overlooked at odds of 10-1 in Saturday’s Grade 1,
$500,500

Hollywood Starlet. But the Smart Strike lass out of a half-sister to
champions Rags to Riches upstaged her rivals, stamping herself as a rising star
in this last-ever running of the juvenile fillies’ feature at Hollywood Park.

The betting public was focused on Rosalind, sent off as the 8-5 favorite in
the wake of her third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies; Taste Like Candy, a
5-2 chance who was a smashing winner first out for Hall of Famer Jerry
Hollendorfer; and Pocahontas heroine Untapable, a troubled eighth in the
Juvenile Fillies and the 7-2 third choice here.

Yet Streaming, who was only just supplemented to the Starlet off her November
15 premiere, outshone them all and stole the spotlight.

“We’ve really been high on this filly,” Baffert said of the Hill ‘n’ Dale
Equine Holdings and Edward McGhee homebred.

The Breeders’ Cup form took a knock, with Rosalind (far left) and Untapable (second left) beaten by a pair of stakes debutantes (Benoit Photos)

Streaming continued to hold the upper hand at the top of the stretch, despite
Taste Like Candy’s game attempt to come back on the inside. The farther they
went, the more powerful Streaming became, until she drew 1 1/2 lengths clear at
the wire in a final time of 1:44 4/5 for 1 1/16 miles. The overlay fueled a win
payout of $23.60.

“My filly was really sharp,” Garcia said, “and I just let her break and was
able to get a good position. I held my position outside and when I asked her to
go she gave me more. She was very impressive.”

Taste Like Candy’s connections were pleased with her runner-up performance.

“Well, I didn’t expect to be on the lead,” jockey Rafael Bejarano said, “but
my filly broke really sharp and when I saw that nobody wanted to go, I just went
to the lead. It was a real strong pace rounding the first turn, but I tried to
relax my filly. The winner was right behind me and chasing me and was always
running real strong.”

The regally-bred Streaming’s value has now skyrocketed (Benoit Photos)

Now a perfect two-for-two, Streaming brandishes a bankroll of $287,000. The
Kentucky-bred bay opened her career in a six-furlong maiden at Hollywood,
rallying from just off the pace to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths.

Streaming boasts a superb pedigree. She is a half-sister to three stakes
performers — Canadian stakes winner Cascading and the stakes-placed pair of
Distracting and Gifting. Their dam, the Storm Cat mare Teeming, is a winning
daughter of Grade 2 queen Better Than Honour.

Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour is famous for producing back-to-back
Belmont Stakes winners in Jazil (2006) and Rags to Riches (2007). Champion Rags
to Riches became the first filly to win the third jewel of the Triple Crown
since the dawn of the 20th century. She defeated Curlin, who ironically is by
Streaming’s Sire, Smart Strike. Rags to Riches landed three other Grade 1s
during her Eclipse Award-winning campaign, sweeping the Las Virgenes, Santa
Anita Oaks and Kentucky Oaks.

Better Than Honour is also responsible for Casino Drive, the 2008 Peter Pan
hero who aimed to give his dam a Belmont three-peat, only to be scratched on the
morning of the race, and Irish highweight stayer Man of Iron, winner of the 2009
Breeders’ Cup Marathon.