Cash Included, purchased privately by J. Paul Reddam after her maiden victory at Del Mar Sept. 2, left the 1-2 favorite Point Ashley in her wake to win the $247,000 Oak Leaf Breeders' Cup (gr. I) for 2-year-old fillies Saturday at Oak Tree's Santa Anita meeting.Ridden by Corey Nakatani, Cash Included - sent off at odds of 13-1 in the 11-horse field - disposed of pacesetter Shes Got Skills early on the far turn. Tackled on the outside as they reached the stretch by Del Mar Debutante (gr. I) winner Point Ashley, the Include filly refused to yield and drew off under urging to win by 4 3/4 lengths. The winning time for the 1 1/16-mile event was 1:42 4/5."With these young fillies, you never know about going two turns," said Nakatani. "At the three eighths (pole), I decided to take a page out of Gary's (Stevens) book and take the race to them. It worked out."The Bob Baffert-trained Point Ashley, a $725,000 sale at Keeneland in April, was three wide all the way around for jockey Victor Espinoza and tired in her first try around two turns.Turned over to Craig Dollase by Reddam after beginning her career in Howard Zucker's barn, Cash Included won for the second time in three starts. The $150,000 purse boosted her earnings to $184,980. Cash Included, who broke her maiden going six furlongs Sept. 2 by 1 3/4 lengths, raced with Lasix for the first time Saturday.Dollase said Reddam purchased the filly for an undisclosed amount on the advice of his racing manager, Jamie McCalmont, who felt she would be a strong router."In the paddock, we were discussing strategy and felt there might be a lot of pace," Dollase said. "Corey came in the paddock and said, 'We're going to be on the pace today,' and that pretty much dictated it. He was obviously right, and she really ran lights out." Dollase said he's looking forward to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs."Absolutely. I'd love to go," he said. "She looks like she's the real deal, just watching her run today and not really having experience yet. I think she'll just get that much better next time."Brereton C. Jones bred Cash Included, who is out of the Chimes Band mare Henderson Band and was purchased for $70,000 at Barretts in March.Shes Got Skills set fractions of :23 1/5 and :47 before tiring. Cash Included, who raced in second, led after six furlongs in 1:11 and poured it on in the stretch. Point Ashley finished a clear second by 2 1/4 lengths over Barretts Debutante winner Quick Little Miss, who was ridden by Jon Court.Cash Included paid $29.40, $7 and $5.80. Point Ashley returned $2.60 and $2.60, completing a $67.20 exacta. Quick Little Miss ($7.40) rounded out a $724.40 trifecta.Baffert said Point Ashley wasn't as aggressive as usual."I really didn't train her specifically for this race," he said. "I wanted to just give her a prep . . . sometimes, you don't do enough or whatever. But she came back well, so that's very important. It's disappointing, but ... it wasn't her day. I wish I could think of something else, but she'll go on (to the Breeders' Cup). She needed that. She's a heavy filly. It's not the end of the world."Spenditallbaby finished fourth, followed by Adorada, Back in the Shade, Outofthepast, Tonja's World, Ces't Mark, Shes Got Skills, and Pinata.(Chart, Equibase)
Cash Included hits the head of the stretch on the way to a win in the Oak Leaf Stakes, Saturday at Santa Anita.
Benoit