Toowindytohaulrox Springs 21-1 Daytona Upset

Queen Bee Racing's Toowindytohaulrox provided an opening-day shocker Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park, unleashing a furious closing drive in the stretch to win the $100,000 Daytona Stakes (gr. IIIT) at odds of 21-1.



The 4-year-old Harlan's Holiday colt went widest of all exiting the turn down the Santa Anita hillside turf course and outfinished fellow longshot and Phil D'Amato stablemate Coastline (52-1) to win by a neck. Pacesetter Rocket Heat (41-1) completed the longshot trifecta, a neck back in third, after setting fractions of :21.99 and :44.18 through a half-mile.

More than 10 lengths back after a half-mile under jockey Tiago Pereira, Toowindytohaulrox hit the wire in 1:14.26 for 6 1/2 furlongs on turf rated firm.

"He likes to be in the clear," D'Amato said of his winning colt. "Anytime he's got to split horses, he doesn't like it as much. He likes to be running freely and (Pereira) bided his time back there, got him widest of all and came with a big run."



The winner paid $44.60, $19.20, and $9.40 across the board. Coastline brought $46.60 and $20.80, while Rocket Heat delivered $16.20 to show. The $1 exacta returned $762.20 and the $1 trifecta paid $10,851.40.

"This horse is great down the hill," Pereira said. "Having him in an outside post is best for him. When he is outside of horses, he's at his best. When he's on the inside—not always. He was free today and he made a big run."

The Great War finished fourth, only a half-length behind the winner, followed by Bench Warrant, Alert Bay, No Silent, Richard's Boy, Big Cazanova, Big Bane Theory, Holy Lute, and Somethings Unusual to complete the order of finish.

Bred in Kentucky by Classic Oaks Farm, out of the Elusive Quality   mare Im Classic Quality, Toowindytohaulrox earned his first graded win in his third try, after third-place finishes in the Eddie D Stakes (gr. IIIT) and Seabiscuit Handicap (gr. IIT). He now has a 4-3-6 record from 19 career starts, with $310,392 in earnings.