Favored Tasha's Miracle nipped Gorgeous Goose by a nose in Oak Tree's $106,100 Harold C. Ramser Sr. Handicap (gr. IIIT) (VIDEO), snapping a seven-race losing streak in game fashion at Santa Anita Park Oct. 11.
Making her second start on turf, Tasha's Miracle, racing in second, dismissed John Sadler stablemate Dawn Before Dawn past mid-stretch to gain a narrow advantage. Ridden by Mike Smith, Tasha's Miracle was all out to get to the wire just ahead of Gorgeous Goose, who had darted to the inside for jockey Rafael Bejarano and finished with interest to just miss. The final time for the one-mile event for 3-year-old fillies was 1:34.83 on firm going.
Dawn Before Dawn, who set a slow pace of :24.02, :47.80, and 1:11 07, was a length behind the runner-up in third. She edged the Irish-bred Miss Singhsix, who made a menacing move in upper stretch but flattened out in the final furlong.
Smith said Tasha's Miracle was anxious down the backstretch.
“I had her relaxed going into the final turn, but when we turned down the backside she thought the race was on and I tried to talk her out of it," he said. "I really wasn’t concerned about the filly on the lead (Dawn After Dawn) and I didn’t want to go at the four-and-a-half. I was concerned about the closers. I thought I won, but I wasn’t sure because (Gorgeous Goose) was way down inside.”
Tasha's Miracle tallied her first victory since capturing the Sorrento Stakes (gr. III) in her third start 14 months ago on the Del Mar's Polytrack. But she had been highly competitive while facing top caliber competition. The daughter of Harlan's Holiday--Ms. Cuvee (by Relaunch) was grade I placed in the Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita this winter. In her last start, she finished a good second to Storm Mesa in the San Clemente Handicap (gr. IIT) at Del Mar July 26, her first try on turf.
“It was very tight, very tight,” Sadler said of the photo finish. “When I watched the race, it was hard to tell, but when I saw it in slo-mo, it looked like we got the bob.
"The race went like it looked like it would on paper. The wild card was that horse (Gorgeous Goose) ran so good on the inside.”
Owned by Syd Belzberg's Budget Stable and Team Valor International, Tasha's Miracle improved her career record to 3-3-2 in 11 starts with earnings of $398,452. Martin Stables bred the winner in Florida.
Sent off as the 13-10 favorite, Tasha's Miracle paid $4.60, $3, and $2.20. Gorgeous Goose, trained by Mike Puype, returned $4.20 and $2.40. Second choice Dawn Before Dawn, winner of the Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar Aug. 31, was $2.40 to show with Garrett Gomez aboard.
It was three-quarters of a length to Miss Singhsix, who was followed by Solar Miss in a scratched down field of five. Porto Marmay, Sweeter Still, and Set of Wings did not run.
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