Abbondanza Racing's Goodyearforroses continued her roll in Southern California and earned her first graded stakes win March 12 in the $200,000 Santa Ana (G2T) at Santa Anita Park. Video: Santa Ana S. (G2T)
Her 1 3/4-length victory in the Santa Ana was her third straight stakes win since relocating to California and moving into the care of trainer Richard Baltas. The Azamour mare first took the off-the-turf Robert J. Frankel Stakes Dec. 31 by 5 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita—when she was still a filly—then came back Feb. 2 to score a 1 1/4-length win in the 1 1/2-mile Astra II Stakes on the Santa Anita lawn.
The even-money favorite in the field of eight for the 1 1/8-mile Santa Ana, Goodyearforroses stalked the early pace of Baltas stablemate Kenriya, made an easy three-wide move in the final turn, and was never seriously challenged in the stretch.
Pretty Girl, who also finished second behind Goodyearforroses in the Frankel, rallied from eighth to get within 1 3/4 lengths of the winner at the wire, but was never a threat to win.
Kenriya ran fractions of :23.85, :48.90, and 1:12.80 through six furlongs before tiring to finish last. Goodyearforroses held a two-length advantage through a mile in 1:36.58 and hit the wire in 1:47.98 under jockey Corey Nakatani.
"Her winning so easily is just a tribute to Richard's team," Nakatani said. "Richard has been so patient with her and has let her tell us when she's ready to go. ... She's doing unbelievable, as you can tell from the way she ran today."
Bred in Ireland by The Hornets, out of the Galileo mare Guilia, Goodyearforroses now has seven wins from 15 starts and $365,995 in earnings. In her three starts on the West Coast, she's earned $226,800. She was purchased by David Meah for $200,000 out of the Denali Stud consignment to the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall sale.
"She's been aggressive from the time we got her and it's nice to have a jock like Corey, who I don't have to give any instructions to," said Baltas, who also indicated the mare will try the May 27 Gamely Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita next. "She's done everything right and she's acted like a good horse. We've got some weight on her now and she's all racehorse."
Sweet Charity came in third, followed by Sheeza Milky Way, Evo Campo, Do the Dance, Responsibleforlove, and Kenriya to complete the order of finish.