Enola Gray Scores on Grass in CA Distaff 'Cap

Jockey Tyler Baze got a good feeling Nick Alexander's Enola Gray would take to a new surface for her first grass start Oct. 15, when the Grazen filly warmed up and traveled up the Santa Anita Park hillside turf course.

"Warming up, she was playing and having fun," Baze said of the moments before the $100,000 California Distaff Handicap Saturday. "I even told (jockey Joe) Talamo, who was on Phil (D'Amato's) other horse going up there, 'Man, she's going to love it today.'"

The gray 3-year-old filly responded in kind minutes later, when she dueled for the lead in the about 6 1/2-furlong event and gamely held off her rivals to win by a length.

"I had the idea (to try turf) at first, but I kind of put it out of my mind, because I didn't want to change surfaces back and forth," D'Amato said of Enola Gray, who won her first three races against California-bred company on dirt, including two stakes. "Nick Alexander, the owner, I have to give him credit. He pulled the trigger on this one and it worked out. I thought top and bottom, pedigree-wise, she should love the grass out of a More Than Ready   mare."

In the California Distaff Handicap, Enola Gray dueled on the outside with Desert Steel through fractions of :21.84 and :43.34 through a half-mile. With a furlong to run, stalking threat Home Journey put a head in front, but Enola Gray dug in and hit the wire in 1:11.57.

Desert Steel held for second, a head in front of Home Journey. Out Ofthe Ordinary came in fourth and favored Long Hot Summer, also trained by D'Amato, never threatened and finished last in the five-horse field.

"(Talamo) said she was kind of dull," D'Amato said. "He thought he was in a good spot, he asked her, but she kind of went the same. I'm going to check her out at the barn and see if I can find anything, because she trained like she was going to run a winning race."

D'Amato is considering the Betty Grable Stakes for California-breds back on dirt at Del Mar Nov. 13 for Enola Gray's next start, with the target of the La Brea (gr. I) at Santa Anita past that.

Her only loss in five starts was her only try against open company, when she finished 2 1/4 lengths behind Bendable in the Beverly J. Lewis Stakes at Los Alamitos Race Course Sept. 11, but her connections still think she can compete out of the state-bred ranks.

"Last race she had everything against her," Baze said. "She was coming off being sick and we took all the speed out of her from a couple races, and it was the shortest race of her career (six furlongs). In my opinion, seven-eighths is her best distance, whether it's turf or dirt. That just opens more doors where Phil can go with her."