Blue Stripe Earns Sneaky Victory in Santa Margarita
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Blue Stripe after winning the Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita Park
Miss Bigly took the lead with a five-wide sweep into the stretch of the $202,000 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2), and at the eighth pole the even-money favorite looked home free in the 1 1/8-mile event. Then Blue Stripe , ridden by Tyler Baze, surged even wider and went by Miss Bigly about 75 yards from the wire to win by a length April 30 at Santa Anita Park.
Blue Stripe and jockey Tyler Baze win the Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita
It was the first start of the year for Blue Stripe, who was two lengths behind at the eighth pole. She hadn't raced since finishing seventh in the Nov. 6 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Del Mar.
"She was so fresh, she was ready to do something," trainer Marcelo Polanco said. "I asked the connections if it was OK to run her in here, and they said, 'Whatever you think.' We just went for it."
The Distaff was Blue Stripe's first race outside her native Argentina and the only time in her eight-race career that she finished worse than third. The Santa Margarita was her fourth stakes victory, of which an Argentina group 1 was included. The 5-year-old was timed in 1:50.52 on a fast track and paid $14.80. She earned $120,000, nearly tripling her previous earnings of only $61,882 for Pozo de Luna.
It was the third win of the day for Baze, who was pretty sure Blue Stripe was live.
"I hadn't been on her, but I heard some reports that said she was ready and working tremendous," Baze said. "That's what my agent (Jack Carava) told me this morning.
"I didn't know what kind of gas pedal I had under me until the three-eighths pole. I asked her and she ran up to 'em so quick, it caught me off guard. I had to tap on the brakes, but even with doing that, when I asked her again she accelerated and came home."
A three-way speed duel helped set up the closing moves by Blue Stripe and Miss Bigly. Park Avenue led through quick fractions of :22.67 for a quarter-mile and :46.41 for a half-mile. Pressure from Bye Bye Bertie and Sharapova wore her down, and Miss Bigly shot clear before being unable to hold off Blue Stripe. The final furlong went in a rather slow :13.47.
The winner saved ground early and was fifth after six furlongs before launching her move. After the first two came Varda , 6 1/2 lengths farther back.
Blue Stripe, a daughter of Equal Stripes out of Blues for Sale, was bred in Argentina by La Manja.
It was a breakthrough win for Polanco, who entered the Santa Margarita 0-for-7 this year.
"It's a dream for everybody, winning these kinds of races at Santa Anita," Polanco said. "It's amazing."
Earlier in the day, Brickyard Ride gave trainer Craig Lewis reason to celebrate in the $100,000 Kona Gold Stakes (G3).
Ahead of the race, Lewis left no secrets about the strategy for the 5-year-old .
"Everybody knows his game," said Lewis. It's speed."
And that speed was on full display Saturday as Brickyard Ride darted to the front under regular rider J.J. Hernandez and never gave his rivals a chance, blazing his way around the Santa Anita Park oval and dashing under the wire with consummate ease.
Brickyard Ride strolls to the wire in the Kona Gold Stakes at Santa Anita Park
The California-bred son of Clubhouse Ride had failed to find the winner's circle against open company since a four-length romp in the San Carlos Stakes (G2) in March 2021. However, Brickyard Ride, a homebred for owner Alfred Pais, had overwhelmed his fellow state-breds in three consecutive starts leading into Saturday's affair. Whether it be on the dirt or turf, the big chestnut outsprinted his foes in frontrunning fashion every time.
Facing a formidable East Coast invader in Miles Ahead , Brickyard Ride made short work of assuming command after the break, opening up a two-length advantage as he cruised through a :21.95 first quarter and :44.10 half-mile. At the top of the lane, with Miles Ahead on the retreat, the pacesetter showed he was nowhere near finished, and he bounded towards the wire under a motionless Hernandez, stopping the clock in a sizzling 1:15.07 for 6 1/2 furlongs on a fast main track.
"As soon as I took a little hold of him to slow him down a little, he grabbed the bridle and he just started to run," said Hernandez. "So I just let him run free. He was happy on the lead and when we hit the stretch, he changed leads and he picked it up by himself. I was just the pilot today.”
Another Cal-bred, Tigre Di Slugo , ran a credible second, 2 1/4-lengths behind Brickyard Ride, in his first trip to the post in nearly 12 months. The Smiling Tiger gelding, who was racing last of the short four-horse field through the race's early stages before closing three wide around the bend, was no stranger to Brickyard Ride, finishing second to him twice last year.
Strike That checked in third, with Miles Ahead fading to fourth.
“Juan said he wanted to take it easy on him, but (Brickyard Ride) wouldn’t let him," said Lewis. "So, you saw the results and they ran fast … He was geared down so, no telling. He just keeps getting better and better."
Lewis noted that the Breeders' Cup Championships in November at Keeneland was the ultimate target for the improving Brickyard Ride.
“He’s been showing so much versatility (in his races) though, we don’t know if he should go to the Sprint, the Turf Sprint, or the Mile," said Lewis. "(We have) a lot of options, we just hope he stays as good as he is now.”
An earner of $740,977, Brickyard Ride is out of the winning Southern Image mare Brickyard Heaven. The dam of three winners from four progeny to race, Brickyard Heaven has an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Conquest Farenheit and a yearling full sister to Brickyard Ride.