Fast-Finishing Street Fancy Strikes in Starlet

Street Fancy closed powerfully to win the Starlet Stakes on Satuday at Los Alamitos. (All photos by BENOIT photo)
By Claire Novak, @BH_CNovak
Agave Racing Stable’s Street Fancy went from maiden winner to Grade 1 winner on Saturday, taking the $300,000 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos with a strong late burst of speed.
The 2-year-old Street Sense filly closed from far back and split horses late under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, shifting to the inside and catching four-time stakes winner Stays in Vegas to score by a length after pacesetter Pretty N Cool faded to fourth in the final sixteenth of a mile.
“She’s anxious before the race starts, but once she leaves there she’s cool and was very relaxed today,” Smith said. “We’re actually still figuring each other out and that's what was happening in the early part of the race. I wasn’t concerned about coming up on the inside in the stretch because there was plenty of room and she was very focused.”
Trained by Phil D’Amato, Street Fancy won for the second time in three starts. She won her career debut at 5 1/2 furlongs on Oct. 18 at Santa Anita Park, then was third in the Nov. 15 Desi Arnaz Stakes going seven furlongs at Del Mar before winning the Starlet when stretching out to a two-turn race for the first time.
“She showed a lot of tenacity and fight, and Mike says we still haven’t gotten to the bottom of her yet,” D'Amato said. “She can be a little temperamental at times and we’ve been working a lot with her to get her to relax, and slowly but surely she’s been coming along. It’s been three different distances at three different tracks and today we got the big one.
“She looks twice the size of anybody else in this field. I knew she wanted to go two turns. I was just hoping today was the day she showed she wanted it, and she did.”
Jockey Alex Solis said he had to move early on Stays in Vegas to reel in two-time Grade 2 winner Pretty N Cool, after tracking from second through a half-mile in :46.73 and three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.26.
“We got a good trip. She relaxed nicely,” he said. “I waited as long as I could, but I did have to move a little earlier than I wanted. She was game and showed a lot of heart.”
After three-quarters of a mile, Street Fancy was still seventh, but she closed powerfully after straightening for home to get the victory. The final time for the 1 1/16-mile race was 1:44.42. The third-place finisher, three lengths back, was Sutton’s Smile — also trained by D'Amato — who edged Pretty N Cool in a photo finish for third.
Street Fancy paid $14.60 for a $2 win bet. She was bred in Kentucky by Hunter Valley Farm from the stakes-winning Cat Thief mare Bold Angel.
Street Fancy went through the auction ring four times without meeting her reserve. The Starlet win improved Street Fancy’s earnings to $223,200 from two wins and a third in three starts.
For an Equibase chart click here.
STREET FANCY RETURNS TO WINNER'S CIRCLE UNDER HALL OF FAMER MIKE SMITH