Edited Santa Anita release
Odds-on favorite Jump On In, whose two previous wins had been achieved in front-running fashion, changed styles when rallying from off the pace to become a dominant 3 3/4-length winner of Monday’s 56th running of the grade II, $150,000 Santa Ynez Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita.
With Corey Nakatani in the saddle, the Kentucky-bred daughter of Jump Start ran the seven-furlong distance in 1:23.45 after rallying from fifth in the field of seven. Second-choice Quick Little Miss, ridden by Jon Court, finished second, one length ahead of Sekira and jockey Alex Solis.
“She’s shown that she can come from off the lead,” said trainer John Sadler in addressing the change of tactics. “It’s just a question of getting everything together with her.” “She just keeps getting better and better,” Nakatani said. “At the top of the lane, I wasn’t worried at all.”
Jump On In’s third win in five starts was her first in a stakes event and netted $90,000 for the C R K Stable of Susan Searing, more than doubling her earnings to $176,800.
The winner, who carried 118 pounds, paid $3.80, $2.40 and $2.20. Quick Little Miss, high weighted at 123 pounds, returned $2.60 and $2.10. The show price on Sekira was $3.
Sadler said he doesn’t know what will be next for Jump On In, who is yet to traverse two turns. “We just wanted to make her a group or graded stakes winner,” he said. “It’s huge for their value (as a broodmare).”
Earlier, jockey David Flores won four races on the nine-race program. Flores is the meet’s third leading rider with 12 wins through 16 days but leads all jockeys with six stakes victories.