Frontrunning Mirth Steals Rodeo Drive At Santa Anita
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Mirth wins the Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita Park
An hour after saddling the 1-2 finishers in the John Henry Turf Championship Stakes (G2T) in Cleopatra's Strike and Acclimate at Santa Anita Park, Phil D'Amato delivered a grass encore by training Mirth to a 6-1 upset in the $300,351 Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T).
He received an assist from jockey Mike Smith. Climbing aboard Mirth for the first time, the Hall of Famer settled the 4-year-old filly into a comfortable gallop on the lead in a paceless race, and she responded with the breakout performance of her 16-race career.
Left with plenty in reserve in the 1 1/4-mile grass race after fractions of :23.72, :47.53, 1:11.05, and 1:35, she remained strong to the wire, concluding the final quarter-mile in :23.47 to hit the wire 1 1/4 lengths ahead of favored Beau Recall. She stopped the clock in 1:58.47, paying $14.20 as the fifth choice in the field of six.
"We were the lone speed in the race, and Mike was able to execute it the way we wanted. And here we are," D'Amato said.
Where she might be next is the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) Nov. 2 at Santa Anita. The filly, owned by the Little Red Feather Racing partnership, earned a free, automatic berth by taking the "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup qualifier.
"I'll be honest, we hadn't even thought about it before five minutes ago," said Little Red Feather founder Billy Koch, minutes after kissing D'Amato in jubilation on national television. "We were just worried about today. So we'll see how it goes, and hopefully we'll be there at the Breeders' Cup. We'll leave that up to Phil."
Beau Recall, backed to 6-5, delivered her usual steady rally in the Rodeo Drive but faced an uphill battle against a slow pace. She finished a neck in front of Elysea's World, who settled for the show after launching a midstretch bid.
Siberian Iris, Excellent Sunset, and Paved rounded out the finish.
The connections of Mirth had a right to be over the moon, pulling off the victory with a filly who ran in a $16,000 maiden claimer in September 2017. Then, after winning a pair of starter allowances in 2018, she was purchased privately by Little Red Feather.
The returns were not immediate. She didn't race until January and win until February. Six tough-luck losses ensued.
On Saturday, all that frustration turned to excitement, providing the partnership with a grade 1 victory and a $180,000 first-place check that more than doubled her career earnings to $315,563. A Colonel John filly out of the French Deputy mare Di's Delight, Mirth was bred in Pennsylvania by Barlar, her owner before Little Red Feather's acquisition.