A speed-favoring racetrack played right into the hands of Terry Lovingier's 64-1 longshot Lost Bus in the Santa Monica Stakes (gr. II) Jan. 23 at Santa Anita Park.
A California-bred, the 4-year-old Bring the Heat filly was claimed for $32,000 out of a mile turf race at Del Mar in November by trainer Gary Sherlock, who earned his first graded win since 2008.
"I was running for third, and it turned out better than that," Sherlock said of the filly, who last won in March, when she took a state-bred allowance optional claimer. "There wasn't a lot of speed in the race, and I told (jockey) Fernando (Perez) to go to the front."
The Santa Monica win was also a surprise to her jockey, who also rode her to a third-place finish last time out in the Dec. 30 Kalookan Queen Stakes.
"She ran well last time, but even I didn't know she was going to run this well in here," Perez added.
