Spring Lily Upsets Selcourt in Kalookan Queen
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Spring Lily wins the Kalookan Queen Stakes at Santa Anita
Even after a stumble at the start, Selcourt appeared to be well on her way to an easy victory in the $75,000 Kalookan Queen Stakes Jan. 13 at Santa Anita Park.
Off at odds of 1-5 in a field of five, Medallion Racing, Keith Abrahams, and Sandra Lazaruk's Tiz Wonderful mare began the 6 1/2-furlong stakes for older fillies and mares awkwardly, but she quickly recovered under jockey Tyler Baze and raced just off early leaders Lake Time and Spring Lily.
Lake Time began to fade in the turn, and Selcourt cruised up on the outside to take the lead, but Pam and Martin Wygod's Spring Lily was not done.
Although she didn't seem too pleased with the whip encouragement from jockey Evin Roman, the 4-year-old Union Rags filly dug in on the rail and pulled away from the favored grade 2 winner to win by 2 1/4 lengths at odds of 16-1. Selcourt held second, 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Tyfosha in third.
"When Selcourt drifted out, we stayed inside, and my filly finished very strong," Roman said. "She tries very hard."
Lake Time had a head in front after the opening quarter in :21.99, but Selcourt poked her head in front to lead at the half-mile mark in :44.39. Spring Lily erased Selcourt's lead from the top of the lane to the furlong pole, then finished the distance in 1:15.55.
The Kalookan Queen was the first stakes win for Spring Lily, who was bred in Kentucky by Emily Wygod. Spring Lily gave trainer John Shirreffs his second stakes win of the Santa Anita meet. The first was with Giza Goddess in the Dec. 30 Blue Norther Stakes. Spring Lily has a 3-0-3 record from nine starts, with $147,075 in earnings.
"This filly likes to be head-and-head," Shirreffs said. "She battles back. She doesn't give it up. … You have to take it away from her. I could see down the backside that it looked like Evin had her into the bridle, which was encouraging. Whenever Evin has ridden her, she's been forwardly placed."
Out of the Bertrando mare Taro, Spring Lily's female family includes the dam of dual grade 1 winner Memories of Silver, All My Memories.