Offlee Naughty, Elm Drive Win Stakes at Santa Anita

Mike McCarthy trainee Offlee Naughty  secured the first stakes victory of his career April 8 at Santa Anita Park when he came home victorious in the $200,500 Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2T).

The 5-year-old son of Flashback  sat last through fractions of :25.20 and :50.63 of the 1/4-mile turf race under Hall of Famer John Velazquez while Dicey Mo Chara  and Opry  led the way. Passing the mile mark at 1:15.34 and moving into the stretch at 1:38.65, Offlee Naughty began his charge to push past the frontrunners, finishing in 2:02.45.

"Inside the eighth pole this horse found another gear," McCarthy said.

Dicey Mo Chara was second and Opry was third.

Offlee Naughty ($25.20) improved his record to 4-1-1 from 16 starts and increased his earnings to $310,645 for James and Donna Daniell.

Bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West, the horse was a $4,000 purchase by West Bloodstock from the JVC Training & Sales consignment to the 2020 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company July 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale.

He is out of the grade 3-winning Offlee Wild mare Acting Naughty , who has four winners from four foals to race.

Video: Charles Whittingham S. Presented by FanDuel TV (G2T)

Elm Drive Takes Off-Turf Monrovia

Later on Saturday, Little Red Feather Racing's Elm Drive  landed the $201,000 Monrovia Stakes at Santa Anita Park in a comeback effort for trainer Phil D'Amato.

A stakes winner every year she's raced, the 4-year-old daughter of Mohaymen  -Let's Dance Charlie, by Indian Charlie  capitalized when the Monrovia was moved to the main track, where she has run exclusively over her career.

Guided by jockey Ramon Vazquez, Elm Drive pressured the pace-setting Leggs Galore  early through a :21.96 opening quarter before nudging ahead of her rival, sweeping past the half-mile marker in :44.42. With Leggs Galore on the retreat, Elm Drive drew clear at the top of the stretch and held sway over runner-up Big Summer . Kirstenbosch  was third.

Elm Drive ($17.20) hit the wire three-quarters of a length in front in a final time of 1:15.56 under Ramon Vasquez on a fast main track.

"The way of being on the inside and having the speed that she does, and seeing the speed from the outside, really put us in a predicament," Little Red Feather Racing managing partner Gary Fenton said. "We told Ramon to play the break and I'm unsure it was the best circumstance for her, but then she came up right along the rail and the other horses were coming at her, and that's where her heart came in.”

A $165,000 purchase by John Dowd for her owners at the 2021 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, Elm Drive improved her record to 4-0-1 from nine starts and earnings to $348,140.

Video: Monrovia S. (BT)