Comanche Country Continues SoCal Success in Surfer Girl

Ridden with supreme confidence by Umberto Rispoli, Phil D'Amato's Irish-bred Comanche Country  remained unbeaten in three one-mile turf starts in Southern California as she rallied for a half-length win in the Oct. 9 $200,000 Surfer Girl Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita. It's on to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Keeneland Nov. 4.

As she did in both her maiden win July 30 and ungraded stakes victory Sept. 10 at Del Mar, Comanche Country rated kindly in the run to the first turn. Mid-pack, about three lengths off Queenzy  in a field of eight juvenile fillies at the half-mile mark, Rispoli hugged the rail to the top of the lane. He tipped out to the three path, and Comanche Country responded with a solid stretch rally to run down Sell the Dream  late and win going away in 1:35.20 for a mile.

"This filly, she just continues to get better and better," said D'Amato, who registered his fourth stakes win on day six of Santa Anita's autumn meet. "Umberto rode her with a lot of confidence. He gave her a nice ground-saving ride, he angled out, and she wanted to win today. I think this will buy us a ticket to the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland."

Heavily favored at 4-5, Comanche Country paid $3.60.

Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, and Marsha Naify, Comanche Country, who was winless in two Irish starts, is 3-for-5 overall. With her first graded stakes victory she picked up $120,000, increasing her earnings to $231,287.

California-bred Sell the Dream ran too good to lose. A close third at the three-furlong pole, she overtook Queenzy inside the eighth pole, opened up a half-length but couldn't hold off the winner late, finishing 1 1/2 lengths in front of longshot Bolt's Broad. 

Fractions were 22.62, 47.22, 1:11.26 and 1:23.19.

Comanche Country is by Highland Reel  and out of the Shamardal mare Honey Hunter (IRE). The mare has produced three other foals, two of which have started: Prydwen (IRE) and Mr Trinket (IRE).

Comanche Country was acquired by R.F. O'Brien Racing Club from the Castletown Stud consignment for $8,698 at the 2021 Goffs Sportsman's Yearling Sale. 



Packs a Wahlop Claims Zuma Beach Stakes

A rangy gray colt by Creative Cause  , Packs a Wahlop has a stride to match and he proved best in Sunday's $200,000 Zuma Beach Stakes (G3T), gliding to a facile, 2 3/4- length win under Mike Smith. In earning his third consecutive victory and second one-mile turf stakes win, Packs a Wahlop stamped his ticket to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) Nov. 4 at Keeneland. Trained by Jeff Mullins and owned by Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal, Packs a Wahlop got the trip in 1:34.07.

Attentive to the early pace while a restrained third, a length and a half off longshot pacesetter Castleknock  into the first turn, Packs a Wahlop settled into a rhythmic stride up the backstretch, drew even with Castleknock with a furlong to run and won with his ears pricked while hand-ridden to the wire.

 "On top of such a big, beautiful stride, this horse is just so athletic," Smith said. "He doesn't seem like a 2-year-old, I swear, he's 4! He's naturally quick, with a very high cruising speed, so he puts you right where you need to be.

"If they let him go, he'll keep on running, and if someone else wants to go, he settles in behind them. I mean, when I asked him to run, he just opens up that stride and it's crazy. ... It feels great to win two stakes today. Keeping me young."

The even-money favorite among 11 juveniles paid $4.

Packs a Wahlop, who sold out of the Ocala Breeders' Sale Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training this past April for $270,000, followed victory in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf (G3T) and notched his first graded stakes win.

With the winner's share of $120,000, Packs a Wahlop, who is out of the City Zip  mare City by the Bay, has earnings of $230,000. City by the Bay has three starts from five foals. The other starters are Surf Town and Sheltered Bay. Packs a Wahlop was bred by Oak Ridge Farm. 

Off at 44-1 with Edwin Maldonado, Castlerock stayed gamely for place, 1 1/4 lengths in front of Malibu Coast .

Fractions on the race were :22.85, :46.70, 1:10.57, and 1:22.34.

 

Entries: Surfer Girl S. (G3T)

Santa Anita Park, Sunday, October 09, 2022, Race 5

• Grade IIIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 3:06 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Bolts Babe (KY)	Kyle Frey	120	Shelbe Ruis	15/1
2	2Sell the Dream (CA)	Abel Cedillo	120	Brian J. Koriner	4/1
3	3Comanche Country (IRE)	Umberto Rispoli	124	Philip D'Amato	8/5
4	4Bolt's Broad (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	122	Shelbe Ruis	20/1
5	5Court Snort (CA)	Mario Gutierrez	122	Sergio Morfin	20/1
6	6Fast and Shiny (KY)	Joe Bravo	120	Bob Baffert	6/1
7	7Queenzy (KY)	Mike E. Smith	122	Jeff Mullins	15/1
8	8Excelia (IRE)	Ramon A. Vazquez	120	Philip D'Amato	4/1
9	9Havana Angel (IRE)	Ryan Curatolo	120	Leonard Powell	10/1
10	10Cast Member (CA)	Hector Isaac Berrios	120	Tim Yakteen	12/1

Entries: Zuma Beach S. (G3T)

Santa Anita Park, Sunday, October 09, 2022, Race 10

• Grade IIIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 2 yo
• 5:38 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Malibu Coast (KY)	Ramon A. Vazquez	122	Michael W. McCarthy	8/1
2	2Gas Me Up (ON)	Juan J. Hernandez	122	Peter Eurton	10/1
3	3Castleknock (KY)	Edwin A. Maldonado	122	Peter Miller	30/1
4	4Dandy Man Shines (IRE)	Umberto Rispoli	120	Jeff Mullins	4/1
5	5Packs a Wahlop (KY)	Mike E. Smith	124	Jeff Mullins	5/2
6	6Valiancer (KY)	Kyle Frey	120	Jeff Mullins	20/1
7	7Suburban Prince (VA)	Victor Espinoza	122	Doug F. O'Neill	30/1
8	8Giver Not a Taker (CA)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	120	Peter Miller	6/1
9	9Ah Jeez (KY)	Abel Cedillo	120	Doug F. O'Neill	6/1
10	10For A Laugh (IRE)	Joe Bravo	122	Simon Callaghan	4/1
11	11De la Luna (KY)	Ryan Curatolo	120	Quinn Howey	30/1
12	12Russells Hustle (KY)	Ash Morgan	120	George Papaprodromou	30/1
13	13Reincarnate (KY)	Umberto Rispoli	120	Bob Baffert	6/1