Just as she had when taking the A Gleam Handicap (gr. II) June 28 at
In winning the Rancho Bernardo, Dearest Trickski, who is trained by John Sadler, earned an automatic bid to the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Sentient Filly & Mare Sprint Oct. 24 at Santa Anita. Her time of 1:15.17 broke the 6 1/2-furlong track record on the Del Mar Polytrack.
Tiz Elemental finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of third-place La Tee. Silky Smooth was fourth in a field of nine sprinters.
"I was praying for a good break; she needs that good break," Smith said. "And my handler was terrific. He got us out of there great. She broke terrifically. And we needed it. I got pressure right away from the outside. Look how fast we went. She was game all the way. Dead game. At the end, she reached down to the bottom of her hooves and gave me all she had."
Sadler claimed Dearest Trickski last August for Tom Mankiewicz, the third time in a little more than three months that she had been claimed. Since that time, she has won eight times, including the Dec. 29 La Brea Stakes (gr. I) and Jan. 26 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint, both at Santa Anita.
“She is the most unbelievable, courageous little filly,” said Mankiewicz, who said he would want to enter her in the Breeders’ Cup. “She’s won eight of nine for me now. She’s just been the gamest little filly you’ve ever seen in your life.”
Going off as the 2-1 second choice, Dearest Trickski paid $6.20, $4.20, and $3.20. The exacta (7-5) returned $27.70, while the $1 trifecta (7-5-4) with 25-1 La Tee was worth $285.90.
Magnificience, who went off as the 3-2 favorite, broke slowly for the second consecutive race and was never a factor. She finished fifth under David Flores.
Bred in