In her first-ever try on turf, Little Red Feather Racing's Elm Drive handled the assignment with aplomb as she sat close to the early pace and went on to a decisive 1¼-length score in Saturday's $100,000 Mizdirection Stakes at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Ramon Vazquez, who bagged his third winner on the card, Elm Drive covered about 6½ furlongs down the hillside course in 1:13.23.
Fresh off a similar score in the Monrovia Stakes (G3) that was transferred from the hill to the main track at 6½ furlongs April 8 at the Arcadia, Calif. track, Elm Drive broke like a shot from her number five post position, but allowed Freedom Flyer to come up on her inside and take a narrow lead as they headed to the half-mile pole.
Second, a half length off the lead at the quarter pole, Elm Drive took charge three-sixteenths of a mile from home and was never threatened thereafter.
“She's trained well on the training track here since I brought her over from Los Alamitos,” said trainer Phil D'Amato. “Usually, that (method of operation) translates to running well on the grass and we got our opportunity to try it today and it worked out.
“Going those slow fractions (:22.88, :45.37, and 1:07.39), it looked like we had a lot of horse. When Ramon asked her, she exploded.”
Off at 5-1 in a field of seven older fillies and mares, Elm Drive paid $13.40 for the win.
A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Mohaymen out of the Indian Charlie mare Lets Dance Charlie, Elm Drive, who was a Grade 2 winner in her second start at age two, now has three stakes victories and is 5-0-1 overall from 10 starts. With Saturday's winner's share of $60,000, she increased her lifetime earnings to $408,140.
“I knew she had been working very nice and today, she broke sharp and then we were able to sit very comfortable,” said Vazquez, who was aboard for her win in the Monrovia as well. “She showed up, she's a nice filly.”
Bred in Kentucky by Kenneth D'Oyen, Elm Drive was a $165,000 purchase from consignor Paul Sharp at the 2021 OBS March 2-year-olds in training sale.
Well off the early pace, Honey Pants, under Umberto Rispoli, made a nice late run and finished second, 1¼ lengths in front of favored Big Summer.
Ridden by Joe Bravo and the lone California-bred in the field, Big Summer was never a factor at even money.
One Silk Stocking was a late scratch at the gate.
The post Elm Drive Passes First Turf Test In Santa Anita’s Mizdirection appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
