California-bred filly Shaggy Mane took command soon after the start of Saturday’s $300,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Sprint at Gulfstream Park and never looked back under jockey Mark Guidry, romping home a 7 3/4-length winner at odds of nearly 9-to-1.
Trained by Don Chatlos Jr., for IEAH Stable and partners, the 4-year-old daughter of Bertrando clocked the six furlongs in 1:09 1/5. Getting the lead while in hand, she led by four lengths at the eighth pole after turning in sharp fractions of :21 3/5 and :44 1/5 and cruised home while kept to her task by Guidry.
“She took me to the front," Guidry said of the winner. "I followed instructions to let her bounce out of there on the lead. The layoff was a double-edged sword. Today it helped. She ran a great and race and it was her day today."
Hobeau Farm’s 2006 Test Stakes (gr. I) winner Swap Fliparoo rallied for second under Javier Castellano, a neck before defending race champion Hot Storm in the bulky field of 13.
“We couldn’t take our filly out of her game," Castellano said. "She came flying in the end, but the California filly was much the best today”
May Day Vow, the lukewarm 7-2 favorite under Rafael Bejarano, chased the pacesetter from her extreme outside position before tiring to finish seventh.
Shaggy Mane had a five-race winning streak in Northern California last year – all at the six-furlong distance – before running fifth, beaten nearly five lengths, in the 7 1/2-furlong Cat's Cradle Handicap for California breds on Nov. 24, her last start. She has won six of nine lifetime with earnings of $281,483 after claiming Saturday's winning share of $165,000. Arnold Family Trust bred Shaggy Mane, a dark baty filly out of the Bel Bolide mare Witchy.
"The owners picked this filly out (private purchase) just for this race," Chatlos remarked. "Unfortunately, we had to fill in a race at Hollywood that wasn’t her best distance (to get here). We couldn’t have her running with a four-month layoff. But the owner said ‘don’t worry about anything, but the race in Florida.’ I was a little worried when the 3-year-olds (a race earlier in the Dash) went 43 and change, but when I saw her click off 44, I knew she had it made. We’ll sit down and see where we go next.”
Shaggy Mane paid $19.40, $8.20 and $5. Swap Fliparoo, making her first start since a third-place showing in the First Flight Handicap (gr. II) at Aqueduct Nov. 4, returned $6.40 and $5. Hot Storm, Garrett Gomez aboard, was $5.60 to show.
Then came Getcozywithkaylee, Coli Bear, wee Bit Fancy, May Day Vow, Gn. Group Meeting, Grecian Lover, The Yellow Sheet, A Sea Trippi, Bettarun Fast and Double Delta. Secret Scheme scratched.
(Chart, Equibase)
Shaggy Mane, Mark Guidry aboard, wins the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Sprint, Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
