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Saturday, December 26, 2020

Fair Maiden one of many Santa Anita opening-day winners - The San Gabriel Valley Tribune

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Fair Maiden gave trainer Eoin Harty his first graded-stakes victory of 2020 on Saturday on opening day of Santa Anita’s winter-spring meet, rallying from seventh in the 10-horse field of 3-year-old fillies and winning the $300,000 Grade I La Brea Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths over Golden Principal.

The Street Boss filly went postward at 20-1 under Ricardo Gonzalez, who won his first Grade I race. For Fair Maiden, it was her fourth victory in eight starts and improved her career bankroll to $321,278 with the winner’s share of $180,000.

Trainer Bob Baffert entered four in the La Brea and finished second and third with Golden Principal and Merneith. Baffert’s other two runners, Provocation and Himiko, finished sixth and seventh, respectively.

Final time for the 7 furlongs over a fast main track was 1:22.69.

“I was just so happy and excited, to just ride these kind of horses. It feels great,” Gonzalez said. “I’m very thankful to Eoin and all the trainers for all the opportunities.”

Said Harty: “I’ve been watching Ricky ride since he came down here, and I think he’s the next superstar. He’s brave and he puts his horse in a spot to win. I grab him every time I can because I think he’s a world-class rider.”

American Oaks

Duopoly, the lone speed in the 1 1/4-mile turf race, went gate to wire under Flavien Prat to win the $300,000 Grade I stake for 3-year-old fillies by two lengths at the generous price of 6-1.

Jockey Flavien Prat (8) rides Duopoly to victory in the American Oaks race during opening day of horse racing at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

A daughter of Animal Kingdom, Duopoly went into the race off a front-running victory in an ungraded stakes race at Aqueduct and trainer Chad Brown sent her and stablemate Capital Structure west for the race.

Duopoly set fractions of 24.91, 49.67 and 1:14.89 en route to a final clocking of 2:01.61. She won for the fourth time in six races – all on the turf.

Going to Vegas was second, three-quarters of a length in front of Sharing, the 8-5 favorite.

San Antonio Stakes

Mike Smith and 15-1 longshot Kiss Today Goodbye came home strongly from last in the six-horse field to win the $200,000 Grade II stakes for 3-year-olds and older by a half length over Idol.

Jockey Mike Smith (2) rides Kiss Today Goodbye to victory in the San Antonio Stakes during opening day of horse racing at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Final time for the 1 1/16 miles over a fast main track was 1:43.37.

Take the One O One set fractions of 23.83, 47.81 and and 1:11.42 before fading to finish third as Kiss Today Goodbye, a 3-year-old Cairo Prince colt, won his first career stakes race in his 11th career start.

Baffert said Wednesday he didn’t have Mucho Gusto, the 1-2 favorite, fully cranked for the race, and it showed. He threatened in the stretch but didn’t have anything left in the final stages and finished fourth.

Mathis Brothers Mile

Smooth Like Strait, the 4-5 favorite who tracked pacesetter Storm the Court from second most of the way under Umberto Rispoli, rallied in the stretch to win the $200,000 Grade II turf race for 3-year-olds by three-quarters of a length.

Smooth Like Strait and jockey Umberto Rispoli, right, outleg Storm the Court with John Velazquez to win the Mathis Brothers Mile on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia. (Benoit Photo)

Storm the Court, winless in eight starts since capturing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2019 at 45-1 odds, held second by a half length with John Velazquez aboard. Whisper Not, the 5-2 second choice, finished third.Final time for the 1 mile on turf was 1:33.51.

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Fair Maiden one of many Santa Anita opening-day winners - The San Gabriel Valley Tribune
"many" - Google News
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