Decked Out Flies By, Takes Providencia

Voss and Big Chief Racing's Decked Out did well stretching out to 1 1/8 miles on the turf when she rallied from ninth and last to win the Providencia Stakes (gr. IIIT) April 9 at Santa Anita Park.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux for his brother, trainer Keith Desormeaux, Decked Out didn't appear in the picture until late when she blew by Jeremy's Legacy, who took the lead on the final turn in the $150.,000 stakes for 3-year-old fillies. The latter held for second, 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner, while Nodiac rallied for third and Sheeza Milky Way finished a head back in fourth.

Decked Out, who covered the distance in 1:52.72, paid $8.60 to win as the second choice. Lady Valeur, the 2-1 favorite, was unplaced.

"I wouldn't compare the journey (today) to her mental progress," Kent Desormeaux said. "The reason she had that trip last time was because I had to bury her; she wanted the race Quarter Horse style. She has been that way since the first day she has run. Now, she has matured. She's letting me drive instead of wanting to go (all) out."

Decked Out, who had been competitive in graded stakes on dirt last year, is by Street Boss   out of the You and I mare Once Around. She was bred in Kentucky by Haymarket Farm.

Decked Out, in her first start on grass, finished a closing third in the Street Life Stakes on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita, and then came back to fifth in the one-mile China Doll Stakes on the turf at the Arcadia, Calif., track.

"There's no doubt (the added distance helped)," Keith Desormeaux said. "We finally figured it out after 10 races. She doesn't want to be pushed on, she wants to sit chilly and let her do it on her own, and that's what Kent did. He never moved on her the whole race. All he does is point her in the right direction."