Everest Stables’ homebred Million Dollar Run, a maiden making only her second career start, stalked the pace, took over at the top of the stretch, and drew clear to win the $110,400 Railbird Stakes (gr. III) by 2 1/4 lengths May 11 on the Hollywood Park Cushion Track.
Ridden by Joel Rosario, Million Dollar Run shocked the eight-horse field, winning at odds of 14-1. Included in those she upset was 8-5 favorite Lethal Heat, who entered the Railbird undefeated in three starts.
Lethal Heat stumbled badly out of the gate and was never a factor. The 3-year-old daughter of Unusual Heat rallied late and did well to get up for third, 2 3/4 lengths behind runner-up Tasha’s Miracle.
A daughter of Tejano Run, Million Dollar Run entered the Railbird off a neck defeat in her racing a debut, a six-furlong maiden special weight contest at Santa Anita Park March 30. The chestnut filly is trained by Marcelo Polanco.
The final time for seven furlongs was 1:20.66, just .16 of a second shy of the track record set last year.
Million Dollar Run broke well and received a perfect stalking trip behind pacesetter Peisinoe, who posted solid fractions of :22.13 and :44.45 under Alex Solis. Tasha’s Miracle raced in third, while Homemade Brew was next through the backstretch.
Peisinoe was still in front as they were coming out of the turn, but the rail opened up for Tasha’s Miracle and Million Dollar Run was revved up from a three-wide position.
Million Dollar Run took over before they reached the eighth-pole and drew clear in upper stretch.
"I worked her once before and she went very good," said Rosario, who earned his first graded stakes score. "We had a great trip from the outside. Alex Solis went to the front, and I got to wait and wait. When I asked her, she responded and won. That's pretty impressive, winning a stakes with a maiden."
Polanco said: "She ran so good, and she has been training so good. When the nominations came out, it wasn’t that tough to my knowledge, and that was part of my main decision. She was training just perfect. Every single thing she did from the last race to this one came out perfect.
"I told Joel to keep it close if somebody wanted to go and if nobody went just get into good position and save some for the last. We’re going to be taking it day by day; the main thing is for her to come out of this sound.”
Out of the Hold for Gold mare Six Zeroes, Million Dollar Run was bred in Kentucky. She paid $31.40, $13.20, and $6. The $2 exacta (10-4) with Tasha’s Miracle was worth $193. The $1 trifecta (10-4-5) returned $426.80.
Lethal Heat, who entered off a victory in the Santa Paula (gr. III) at Santa Anita March 30 , was hustled into mid-pack by Rafael Bejarano after the poor break, but was too far back to challenge the top two.
"She was getting nervous in the gate," Bejarano said. "There was a lot of noise, and she was leaning to the right when the gate sprung and she stumbled real bad. We had a nice trip, but we had to come from too far behind. I think it cost me the race."
Sweet Hope was fourth, followed by Magical Victory, Peisinoe, Highland Torree, and Homemade Br ew. P.S.U. Grad and Lovely Isle were scratched.
(Chart, Equibase)
