2-year-old filly Vaping Angel pulled off a massive upset in the feature race on Saturday afternoon at Golden Gate Fields in Berkley, Calif., the $75,000 Pike Place Dancer Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at one mile on the turf. Ridden to victory by jockey Pedro Terrero, Vaping Angel was sent off as the longest shot in the field at 25-1.
Vaping Angel, after breaking alertly from post position two, dashed over to the rail and raced in midfield from the three-quarter pole until the top of the stretch. Turning for home, she tipped outside and produced a strong stretch-run rally, inheriting the lead at about the sixteenth pole and fending off a late challenge from runner-up finisher Jessebear. The official margin of victory was a length and a quarter, with Vaping Angel stopping the clock for 8 furlongs on “good” turf in 1:40.90.
Second-favorite Code Ribbon completed the trifecta while Sen Sen, the pacesetter for most of the way, faded to fourth in the final stages. 4-5 favorite Wishing On a Star, a maiden shipping north for Southern California trainer Michael McCarthy, stalked the pace before tiring to fifth. Irish Wahine trailed the field home.
Vaping Angel, trained by Felix Rondan, paid $52.80 to win, $14.80 to place, and $5.40 to show. Second place finisher Jessebear paid $11.80 to place and $7.00 to show, and Code Ribbon paid $3.00 for the show dough.
With the stakes victory, Vaping Angel improved her lifetime record to two wins and one third-place finish from four lifetime starts. The daughter of Southern Image was bred in California by owners William T. and Jill Gray. Vaping Angel is out of the productive Comic Strip mare Nada Joke, who has produced three winning siblings to Vaping Angel.
Live racing resumes at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday afternoon with an 11-race program. First post is 12:10 PM. The marquee race of the day is Race 7, the $75,000 El Dorado Shooter Stakes, for California-bred or sired 3-year-olds and upward at six furlongs on Tapeta.
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