Finest City Surges By to Win Great Lady M.

After a tough-luck second back in January, when she came up a head short of her first graded stakes score in the Santa Monica (gr. II), Seltzer Thoroughbreds' Finest City didn't do her best running in two following starts.

The 4-year-old City Zip   filly finished a far-back third in a February allowance race and came in fourth in the Las Flores (gr. III) March 20, but found her best stride April 23 in the $200,000 Great Lady M. Stakes (gr. II) at Los Alamitos Race Course. 

With jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard for the first time, Finest City rallied furiously past her competitors in the stretch to win by 1 1/4 lengths, ahead of 1-2 favorite and defending Great Lady M. winner Fantastic Style. Lost Bus, who edged Finest City in the Santa Monica, finished another head back in third.

The winner hit the wire in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint in 1:14.48 to set a track record. The previous mark was 1:14.60, set by Patriots Rule in September of 2014.

Fantastic Style, who came into the Great Lady M. on a three-race win streak, defeated Finest City by eight lengths last time out in the Las Flores at Santa Anita Park.

On Saturday, Finest City raced in sixth through most of the Great Lady M., as pacesetter Thirteen Arrows clicked off fractions of :21.56 and :44.81 through a half-mile. Still 3 1/2 lengths after the first half, Finest City sped by her rivals with ease on the outside in the last stages.'

It was one of four winners on the card for Desormeaux, who ended the day with 10 victories from 20 starts during the Los Alamitos meeting.

"Even though she has a lot of speed, she was able to relax perfectly and it worked out great the way they were going up front," Desormeaux said.

Off at 8-1, Finest City also gave trainer Ian Kruljac the first graded stakes win of his career and paid $19.60, $5.60, and $4 across the board. Fantastic Style delivered $2.40 and $2.10, and Lost Bus returned $3 to show.

"We knew we had a very nice filly and we've just had to give her time. It paid off today. ... All I told Kent before the race was 'good luck.' You don't really tell a Hall of Famer how to do their job." said the 27-year-old Kruljac, the son of fellow trainer Eric Kruljac. "I thought we could win today, because she is all heart and I really didn't think we had seen her best yet."

Minks Aprise rallied from last to finish fourth, followed by Dr. Fager's Gal, Ben's Duchess, and Thirteen Arrows, to complete the order of finish.

Bred in Pennsylvania by HnR Nothhaft Horseracing, out of the Lemon Drop Kid   mare Be Envied, Finest City now has a 3-3-1 record from 10 starts and $275,594 in earnings.