Nelson McMakin’s homebred HOT CHA CHA (Cactus Ridge) overtook a stubborn
Romacaca (Running Stag) inside the final furlong and inched away to a 1
1/4-length tally in the $200,000
Pucker
Up S. (G3) over a firm Arlington turf course on Monday. The miss saved
ground on the inside early beneath James Graham before being brought wide
turning for home, and from there she slowly wore down her lone foe in the latter
stages, finishing off the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47 3/5. The 5-1 fourth choice paid
$13.40, $5 and $3.80 while topping the $49.80 exacta, $973.80 trifecta and
$7,351 superfecta (2-11-9-12).
Romacaca pressed early leader Kiss Mine (Mineshaft) through fractions of :46
2/5 and 1:10 4/5, put that one away nearing the final turn and stayed on well to
the wire to be a clear second as the 2-1 favorite. Place was good for $3.40 and
$3. Single Solution (Flatter) saved ground in last early but rallied steadily
late to grab third honors at 47-1, paying $14.60 in the process. Hameildaeme
(GB) (Storming Home [GB]) was another half-length back in fourth, capping the
super as the 7-2 second choice. C. S. Silk (Medaglia d’Oro) was next and trailed
by Prytania (Royal Academy), Napoleon’s Retreat (Street Cry [Ire]), Kiss Mine,
Peach Brew (Milwaukee Brew), Bill’s Presence (During), Hustle (Greatness) and
Embers Glowing (Woodman).
Hot Cha Cha picked up her second graded win in here for trainer Philip Sims,
with a previous tally in the Bourbonette Oaks (G3) at Turfway Park in the
spring. The sophomore has now banked $285,566 in lifetime earnings from a
10-4-1-2 mark. The dark bay just missed by a nose in the Appalachian S. (G3) at
Keeneland and was a close third in both the Regret S. (G3) and Arlington Park
Oaks (G3) in her past two.
The Kentucky-bred is out of Reduced Sentence (Broad Brush) and has an unnamed
2009 half-brother by Flatter. This is the same female line as Hall of Famer
Inside Information (Private Account); her half-sister, multiple Grade 1 heroine
Educated Risk (Mr. Prospector); and Monday’s Pennsylvania Derby (G2) romper,
Gone Astray (Dixie Union).