Favored Laura's Light Shines in San Clemente
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Laura's Light wins the San Clemente Stakes at Del Mar
As much as five Breeders' Cup victories—either in the Sprint (G1) or Turf Sprint (G1T)—have given trainer Peter Miller a keen reputation for developing fast, one-turn horses, Laura's Light is doing her best to show he's pretty adept with two-turn horses as well.
A daughter of Constitution owned by Gary Barber, Laura's Light notched a second consecutive graded stakes win around two turns as she took charge turning into the stretch and drew away to a three-quarter-length victory in the $152,500 San Clemente Stakes (G2T) for 3-year-old fillies July 25 at Del Mar.
The win was the fifth in seven starts for Laura's Light, whose lone 2020 loss in four starts was a fourth-place finish on a synthetic surface in the March 14 Maxim Crane Works Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park in Kentucky. She was coming off a neck victory in the May 30 Honeymoon Stakes (G3T) at a 1 1/8-mile distance at Santa Anita Park.
She was bought by Barber and turned over to Miller after she won her Nov. 2 career debut at Golden Gate Fields for owner Scott Herbertson and trainer Jamey Thomas.
Cheermeister set the early pace in the one-mile San Clemente with Laura's Light two lengths behind in second through fractions of :22.46 and :46.15. Once jockey Abel Cedillo moved Laura's Light past the tiring pacesetter leaving the quarter pole, Laura's Light fended off a bid from Miller stablemate She's So Special and then had more than enough speed left to hold off late bids by Guitty and the California-bred Warren's Showtime.
"She's all heart and has been a really nice addition to the barn," said Miller, who captured the past three runnings of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and is a two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Sprint. "It was a great win, and I'm really proud of her and She's So Special."
She finished in 1:34.16 on firm turf and paid $4.40 to win as the 6-5 favorite in a field of 10.
Guitty, a Dunkerque filly owned by the Benowitz Family Trust, Madaket Stables, M. Mathiesen, and M. Powell and trained by Leonard Powell, finished a half-length in front of Benjamin and Sally Warren's Warren's Showtime. A daughter of Clubhouse Ride trained by Craig Lewis, Warren's Showtime was third by a nose over Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' She's So Special.
Laura's Light, out of the Muqtarib mare Light of a Star, was purchased by McMahon & Hill Bloodstock, agent, for $95,000 from the Select Sales consignment at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. She was a $25,000 RNA from the Hidden Brook consignment at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
She now has career earnings of $304,370.
Miller said the obvious target for Laura's Light would be the $250,000 Del Mar Oaks (G1T) at 1 1/8 miles Aug. 22.