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Rideforthecause Upsets Dogtag In Possibly Perfect At Santa Anita

Trainer Michael McCarthy's longshot Rideforthecause had three lengths to make up with a furlong to run, but she kept to her task and was able to nip heavily favored Dogtag by a head in Sunday's $75,000 Possibly Perfect Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Rideforthecause got a mile and one quarter on turf in 2:02.45.

With defending champ Dogtag and Peruvian-bred Kuora sparring on the front end early, Dogtag, ridden by Umberto Rispoli, took charge around the far turn and just missed in a big effort.

Most recently second, beaten a nose by today's third-place finisher, Neige Blanche, in the Grade 3 Santa Barbara Stakes May 8, Rideforthecause was off at 7-1 in a field of eight fillies and mares three and up and paid $16.00, $4.60 and $3.20.

“I think I got to know her a little bit better, but even though last time, if you watch the replay, it was just the luck of the (head-bob),” said Gutierrez, who was aboard for the third consecutive time today. “I knew it was going to be tough to catch (Dogtag) but my filly, every time I would ask her and would push her, she was giving me all she can…I looked for the wire and it was a little far, so I wasn't 100 percent confident. But I knew she was charging all the way until the end.”

Owned by Alpha Delta Stables, LLC, Rideforthecause, a 5-year-old Ontario Canadian-bred mare by Candy Ride out of the Giant's Causeway mare Danceforthecause. A G2 winner at Woodbine this past September, she was making her fourth start for McCarthy today and she now has two stakes wins and an overall mark of 15-5-1-1. With the winner's share of $48,840, she increased her earnings to $361,066.

The 1-2 favorite, Dogtag paid $2.40 and $2.10 while finishing three quarters of a length in front of Neige Blanche.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, French-bred Neige Blanche was off at 6-1 and paid $3.60 to show.

Fractions on the race were 25.42, 51.22, 1:15.33 and 1:38.70.

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McCarthy To Start Rideforthecause, Go Big Blue Nation In Possibly Perfect Stakes

Go Big Blue Nation and Rideforthecause, two campaigners with similar come-from-behind running styles, will represent trainer Michael McCarthy in Sunday's $75,000 Possibly Perfect Stakes for fillies and mares three and up at 1 ¼ miles on turf.

Both are coming out of the Grade 3 Santa Barbara Stakes on May 8, where Rideforthecause was beaten a nose by Neige Blanche and Go Big Blue Nation was fourth, 2 ½ lengths behind her stablemate.

“Rideforthecause has a bit of a class edge (on Go Big Blue Nation),” McCarthy allowed, alluding to her last five races being graded events.

“She was unlucky to get beat last time (getting out-bobbed), but they're both training well. They have similar styles but the distance seems to suit both of them.”

Rideforthecause, a five-year-old Candy Ride mare owned by Alpha Beta Delta Stables, was fourth in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine last Oct. 18 and won the Grade 2 Canadian at the Toronto track last Sept. 12.

The Possibly Perfect will be only the third stakes start in 16 races for Go Big Blue Nation, a four-year-old daughter of 2011 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom owned by Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC.

The Possibly Perfect is named for the multiple Grade 1 winner that won 11 of 18 starts with two seconds and four thirds, earning $1,377,634 in the early and mid-1990's, when trained by the late Bobby Frankel.

As to Grade 1 Preakness Stakes winner and third-place Grade 1 Belmont Stakes finisher Rombauer, McCarthy said, “He's doing very well. He's in light training right now but we have nothing being considered for his next race.”

The Possibly Perfect will be presented as the ninth race on Sunday's card. The field includes Lady Noguez, Kent Desormeaux, 20-1; Go Big Blue Nation, Flavien Prat, 5-2; Dogtag, Umberto Rispoli, 9-5; Dynapower, Tiago Pereira, 50-1; Neige Blanche, Juan Hernandez, 3-1; Catch the Eye, Abel Cedillo, 15-1; Rideforthecause, Mario Gutierrez, 4-1; and Kuora, Trevor McCarthy, 10-1.

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‘She’s Got A Big Future’: Dogtag Takes Possibly Perfect As Heavy Favorite

Trainer Richard Mandella's heavily favored Dogtag rallied from mid-pack to take Sunday's $75,000 Possibly Perfect Stakes by 1 ¼ lengths, thus providing Santa Anita's runaway leading rider Flavien Prat with his fourth win of the day and his 79^th victory through 56 racing days at the Arcadia, Calif., track.

With a hillside start, Dogtag was allowed to settle into stride in the first run by the wire as Prat had her on a long rein, about 3 ½ lengths off pacesetter Desert Oasis heading into the far turn. Despite the fact Dogtag had moderate fractions to run into, she unfurled a dazzling turn of foot around the turn and hit the front turning for home, from where she was not seriously challenged.

A handy 1 ½-length second condition allowance winner while pressing the pace at a flat mile here on May 16, Dogtag, a 4-year-old filly by War Front who is owned by her breeder, LNJ Foxwoods, was off as the 4-5 favorite in a field of seven fillies and mares and paid $3.60, $2.80 and $2.20.

“She was very professional and she handled the course beautifully,” said Prat, who was aboard for the first time today. “The mile and a quarter is always a question, but just about everybody was trying it for the first time and the way she relaxed, it was no problem at all. When I asked her around the turn, she took me to the lead very nice, it looks like she's got a big future.”

Out of the Unbridled's Song mare Diamond Necklace, Dogtag who was Grade 3 stakes placed last July at Saratoga when trained by Chad Brown, picked up her third non-graded stakes win in her third start for Mandella and improved her overall mark to 9-4-1-2. With the winner's share of $48,360, Dogtag increased her earnings to $247,511.

“She seems to be getting better and better,” said Mandella. “I thought she'd break sharp and be on the lead, but Flavien got her to settle real nice, which was good. He usually does the right thing. We'll go ahead and point to the John Mabee at Del Mar (Grade 2, 1 1/8 miles on turf Sept. 5).”

Ridden by Tiago Pereira, Don't Blame Judy rallied from next to last to finish second, besting a late closing Pretty Point by a head. Off at 10-1, Don't Blame Judy paid $6.60 and $4.20.

Ridden by Mike Smith, Pretty Point got rolling late from last and paid $3.80 to show while off at 9-1.

With three days remaining in the current stand which concludes next Sunday, Prat has built an unsurmountable 23-length advantage over Abel Cedillo, 83-60.

Fractions on the Possibly Perfect were 23.70, 48.20, 1:12.82 and 1:37.26.

Racing resumes on Friday with first post time for a nine-race card at 1 p.m.

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