Herbert Bloodstock, Richard Leggio, and Peter Peluso's Gloryzapper earned her first graded win Oct. 9 with a game effort in the $100,000 L.A. Woman Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita Park. Watch Video
The 4-year-old Ghostzapper filly dueled with Perfect Pic early and dug in under jockey Stewart Elliott to hold off an inside closing drive by Wild At Heart to win by a half-length.
Trained by Phil D'Amato, Gloryzapper dueled on the outside, head and head with Perfect Pic, to set fractions of :22.13 and :45.10 through a half-mile, and held a head lead over that rival with a furlong to go.
"I love her in this scenario. When she has her head in front of the rest of the opposition, she loves the fight," D'Amato said. "She loves to hold them off. Passing horses, she's just OK, but she loves to be in the mix and fight them off."
Wild At Heart, a Richard Mandella-trained daughter of Indian Charlie ridden by Mike Smith, rallied on the rail after racing fifth early on but could not get past the winner.
Perfect Pic held for third, a head in front of even-money favorite Luminance. Juno, Harlington's Rose, Doodetta, and Indriya completed the order of finish.
Gloryzapper finished off the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.75. She now has a 3-3-0 record from seven starts with $165,045 in earnings. The filly was bred in Kentucky by Adena Springs out of the Distorted Humor mare Grand Glory, and was purchased by L.A. Thoroughbreds for $15,000 out of the 2013 Keeneland September yearling sale.
"We'll see what's next," D'Amato said. "Maybe the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I), but we'll see. We'll see how she comes out of it."
"With the way she ran today—she got tested and she fought to win, so I could see the Breeders' Cup as a possibility," Elliott added.
