Ashleyluvssugar No Fluke in Whittingham
Image:
Description:
Ashleyluvssugar showed his upset win over Finnegans Wake in the March 21 San Luis Rey Stakes (gr. IIT) was no fluke May 24, when the 4-year-old gelding closed to capture the $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita Park.
The son of Game Plan owned by breeders Sharon Alesia, Bran Jam Stable, and Ciaglia Racing now boasts a three-race win streak, which includes a perfect 2-for-2 record in graded grass stakes, both at 1 1/2 miles.
With jockey Gary Stevens aboard, Ashleyluvssugar stalked in fourth place through most of the Whittingham, while Argentine group I winner Going Somewhere set fractions of :24.16, :48.06, and 1:14.21 through six furlongs, then covered a mile in 1:40.74. Going Somewhere, making his U.S. debut with Mike Smith in the irons, maintained a two-length lead through 1 1/4 miles and into the stretch as Ashleyluvssugar advanced four wide, but eventually succumbed to the winner and second-place finisher Ganesh.
"It looked like it was going to be messy on paper and it was," Stevens said. "There was no real speed in the race and he was very fresh today. I wasn't afraid to put him on the lead, if that's where he wanted to be, but (Smith) sent his horse away from there pretty hard and was intent on getting the lead."
Ganesh kept moving up through the wire, but Ashleyluvssugar held on to prevail by a half-length, covering the 1 1/2 miles in 2:30.10 over a turf course rated firm. Going Somewhere was another half-length back in third.
"In his last race, they went :45 for the half and today they went :48, so I don't know if it's a combination of both the track being slower and a lack of pace in there," winning trainer Peter Eurton said. "I didn't know what he was going to do, so I just left it up to Gary today."
Off at 1-2 odds, Ashleyluvssugar paid $3, $2.20, and $2.10 across the board. Ganesh delivered $3.20 and $2.60, while Going Somewhere brought $3 to show.'
Second choice (5-2) Divine Oath finished fourth, followed by Crucero, to complete the order of finish.
Ashleyluvssugar was bred in California out of the Urgent Request mare Ashley's Folly. He now has a 6-0-2 record and $455,504 in earnings from 11 career starts. Prior to the San Luis Rey score, the gelding had three allowance/optional claiming victories to go along with a debut maiden special weight win in 2013.
After the race, Eurton said he plans to run Ashleyluvssugar next in the 1 3/4-mile $150,000 San Juan Capistrano (gr. IIIT) on Santa Anita's closing day June 28.