Trainer Richard Mandella rang up his second stakes win in the past two days on Sunday at Santa Anita as Spendthrift Farm LLC's heavily favored Ruby Nell went to the front, controlled the pace throughout, and won the $100,000 Lady of Shamrock Stakes by 4½ lengths.
With regular rider Edwin Maldonado up, the 3-year-old daughter of Bolt d'Oro finished one mile on turf in 1:34.01.
A respectable fifth, beaten just two lengths in Del Mar's Matriarch (G1) going one mile on turf Dec. 3, Ruby Nell was taking a big drop in class Sunday and she relished the conditions, registering her fourth win from five tries over the Santa Anita lawn.
A similar gate-to-wire winner of the Autumn Miss Stakes (G3) at one mile on turf her two starts back on Nov. 5, Ruby Nell, who had also taken the Unzip Me Stakes at about 6½ furlongs down the hillside turf course on Oct. 1, attracted a massive show pool of $141,144. Off as the prohibitive 1-5 favorite among a field of six sophomore fillies, she paid $2.40 for the victory.
Far back early, Justique was next to last and on the move at the rail three furlongs out, about six lengths off the lead under Mike Smith. She angled out three-deep turning for home and finished well but was no threat to the winner. The second choice at 8-1, Justique finished two lengths clear of Irish Patsy in third.
Ruby Nell set early fractions of :22.09, :45.59, 1:09.47 and 1:21.57.
“My job was just to try to slow down as much as I could and just hang on,” Maldonado said of the winner. “Even with a :45 fraction, I feel like she's going slow because she's got her ears pricked forward and was just waiting for me to ask her. I'd like to thank Richard (Mandella) and wish a Happy New Year for everybody.”
In garnering her third stakes win, Ruby Nell improved her overall mark to 10-5-2-1. With the winner's share of $60,000, she has career earnings of $304,520.
Mandella said Ruby Nell looked pretty comfortable at the half-mile pole.
“I just hope next year is as good as this year was,” he added.
A $1.2-million purchase from the Tom McCrocklin consignment at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select (Gulfstream) Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale Ruby Nell is out of the Not For Love mare Rich Love.
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