Edgeway Returns to Winning Form in Rancho Bernardo
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Edgeway wins the Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar
Hronis Racing's Edgeway rebounded off a fourth-place finish in the July 5 Great Lady M Stakes (G2) with a game victory in the Aug. 20 $100,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3) at Del Mar.
Facing only three other rivals in the Rancho Bernardo, the Competitive Edge filly rocketed to the early lead under jockey "Jersey Joe" Bravo. She was quickly joined on the front end by Stellar Sound , a winner of a July 29 allowance optional claiming race over Rancho Bernardo second choice Scotish Star . That duo sped clear of the field, dueling through a first quarter in :22.31 and a half-mile in :44.94 before Edgeway shook clear of that rival at the top of the lane. Surging down the stretch, Proud Emma mounted a strong late challenge in the final sixteenth but fell a length short of catching Edgeway under the wire.
Sent to post as the even money favorite, Edgeway stopped the timer in 1:16.80 for the 6 1/2 furlongs on a fast main track. With show wagering cancelled due to the short field, Edgeway returned $4.00 and $2.60, while Proud Emma paid $4.60.
"(Edgeway) was feeling real positive from the break right on through," said Bravo, who earned his third stakes win of the Del Mar summer meet with the Rancho Bernardo. "I was in the catbird seat pretty much all the way. At the three-eighths (pole) I just cut her loose and she got real brave then. She's a nice filly and good horses make my job easier. It'll be interesting to see what John (trainer Sadler) does with her next."
Proud Emma and Stellar Sound completed the trifecta. Scotish Star was fourth.
The connections of Edgeway in the winner's circle after the Rancho Bernardo Handicap
Edgeway was grade 3-placed as a 3-year-old but has started to come into her own as a 4-year-old. Edgeway shook off the rust of an eight-month layoff in a dominating Santa Anita allowance optional claiming tally to kick off her 2021 campaign before defeating the multiple graded stakes-winning Frank's Rockette in the April 10 Carousel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
The bay now boasts a record of five wins from eight starts for earnings of $379,200.
Edgeway gave Sadler his sixth win in the Rancho Bernardo dating back to a filly named Track Gal the conditioner saddled to win the race in 1995, '96, and '97.
"This has been such a good race for me and it is fun to win it again; it has been a few years in between wins," said Sadler. "This is a good filly, she has a great record. The only bad race was her last one and Gamine (who left Edgeway 11 1/4 lengths behind in the Great Lady M at Los Alamitos) is the best in the country. She came back from it today, so I'm very happy."
Edgeway was bred in Kentucky by Pope McLean, Valerie Blethen, and David Blethen and was sold to Martin Anthony for $275,000 as a 2-year-old at the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
She is the first stakes winner produced from the stakes-winning Stormin Fever mare Magical Solution, who is a half sister to grade 1-winning sprinter The Lumber Guy.