Flashy Maiden Winner Urban Steps Up in Sweet Life
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Urban breaks her maiden at Santa Anita Park
In a race in which nearly all 10 entrants will be trying Santa Anita Park's unique hillside turf course for the first time, the Simon Callaghan-conditioned Urban , fresh off an impressive maiden score, appears to be the filly to beat in the Feb. 12 $100,000 Sweet Life Stakes (G3T) for 3-year-old fillies.
Trainer Graham Motion's French-bred Ouraika , who comes off a narrow second in a Dec. 3 allowance optional claiming contest at Aqueduct Racetrack, ships in from Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland and helps to make the Sweet Life a very deep and competitive affair.
Add in Phil D'Amato's Kitty Kitana , who was a solid second to the top choice in her U.S. debut, and punters will have plenty of pari-mutuel options on Saturday.
Off as the 2-1 favorite going 6 1/2 furlongs out of Santa Anita's turf chute on Jan. 8, Urban was attentive to the early pace without being asked, swung off the rail two-wide turning for home, and prevailed three-quarters of a length while appearing to win with deceptive ease under Flavien Prat, who rides her back in the Sweet Life. The daughter of Quality Road earned a commendable 106 Equibase Speed Figure for the effort.
Owned by Gainesway Stable, LNJ Foxwoods, and NK Racing, Urban, who has now sprinted four times on grass, will be making her initial stakes appearance.
A winner of one of her three starts in her native France at age 2, Madaket Stables and Michael Dubb's Ouraika made her U.S. debut going 1 1/16 miles in the Nov. 6 Chelsey Flower Stakes at Belmont Park, finishing fourth. With Juan Hernandez appearing to have taken off recent one-mile maiden turf winner I Got a Gal to ride Ouraika, look for her to be well supported in her Southern California debut.
Second in a field of 14 juvenile fillies in her debut going seven furlongs on synthetic Sept. 24 in Ireland, English-bred Kitty Kitana rallied from off the pace to finish second, just beaten by Urban in her U.S. debut going 6 1/2 furlongs out of the turf chute Jan. 8.
Although Urban appeared to win in better-than-looked fashion, Little Red Feather Racing and Sterling Stables' Kitty Kitana was certainly not asked for her absolute best and would appear to have considerable upside with John Velazquez taking over the reins on Saturday. The D'Amato trainee will try to score her first career victory in the Sweet Life.
The California-bred Ellamira , trained by 71-year-old trainer Steve Specht, will be looking to rebound after a fourth-place effort in the Jan. 15 Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks at Santa Anita.
"(Ellamira) had a tough trip in that stakes at Santa Anita," Specht said. "I thought she could have been right there but she got stood on her head about the eighth pole and had a little trouble leaving the gate.
"She didn't have a real clean trip but ran a creditable race, came out of it good, and worked five-eighths this morning really good ... I think she'll give a good account of herself."
Running in the colors of Cole Ranch Partners, Ellamira captured the Golden Gate Debutante Stakes two starts back at her Golden Gate Fields homebase.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, February 12, 2022, Race 9Entries: Sweet Life S. (G3T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Ellamira (CA)
Tyler Baze
124
Steven Specht
15/1
2
2Ouraika (FR)
Juan J. Hernandez
120
H. Graham Motion
4/1
3
3I Got a Gal (KY)
UMBERTO RISPOLI
120
Peter Eurton
7/2
4
4Half Past Twelve (ON)
Kyle Frey
122
Steve Knapp
15/1
5
5Dolly May (IRE)
Ryan Curatolo
120
John W. Sadler
8/1
6
6Baby Steps (FL)
Mike E. Smith
120
Ryan Hanson
20/1
7
7Kitty Kitana (GB)
John R. Velazquez
120
Philip D'Amato
4/1
8
8Impeachd Alexander (IRE)
Ricardo Gonzalez
120
Philip D'Amato
12/1
9
9Urban (KY)
Flavien Prat
120
Simon Callaghan
5/2
10
10She's So Shiny (KY)
Drayden Van Dyke
120
Doug F. O'Neill
20/1
