Thought Process Scores in Buena Vista After Layoff

Off seven months, Thought Process legitimately could have needed a race. But she did not have to rely on that excuse, turning in a brilliant performance in the Feb. 28 Buena Vista Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Park. The 4-year-old Collected filly faced five other older fillies and mares in the 1-mile turf event, all with much more current form. Nevertheless, bettors gave her the class edge, sending her off as the 6-5 favorite. Second-choice Grand Slam Smile, an eight-time stakes winner, primarily against California-bred competition, took the early lead. Thought Process, on the rail, broke alertly for jockey Hector Berrios and raced in third behind Grand Slam Smile's first quarter-mile in :23.35. "She broke so good that for a second I thought that Hector was going to go to the lead," trainer Phil D'Amato said. "But we've been really working hard on getting her to relax and finish, and he stuck with the plan." Thought Process was perfectly happy to race in third early, going in tandem with Princesa Moche (PER). Berrios moved her outside to ask her for more approaching the five-sixteenths pole. Thought Process responded willingly to take the lead and drew off to score by 2 lengths in 1:34.20. "I tried to just wait and wait, and when I asked her, she passed them easily," Berrios said. Vibez closed to finish second, a neck ahead of Grand Slam Smile. D'Amato said he had Thought Process at about 90%-95% for the Buena Vista. "This is the way you want to win off the layoff," the trainer said. "Going into the next is good, positive reinforcement here, and we'll have her ready to go." D'Amato wasn't sure exactly what Thought Process' next race would be, though he speculated they might try for grade 1 competition. Santa Anita will offer the Gamely Stakes (G1T) in the older female turf division May 25. Last summer at Del Mar, Thought Process won the San Clemente Handicap (G2T) after taking two turf stakes as a 2-year-old in 2024. The late Brereton Jones bred Thought Process in Kentucky, and his estate owns her with Little Red Feather Racing and Madaket Stables. After Thought Process finished third in the Del Mar Oaks (G1T) last August, D'Amato gave her that seven-month break. "She needed a little time to grow up, I think mentally more than anything else," said Billy Koch, founder and a managing partner of Little Red Feather. "She was much more relaxed today, and Hector Berrios did a great job getting her to relax and just get the perfect trip." Koch noted that Little Red Feather has had luck partnering with the Jones family and Sol Kumin's Madaket Stable. They won stakes together with Conclude, like Thought Process by the stallion Collected. Jones also bred Iron Man Cal, another stakes-winning son of Collected who raced for Little Red Feather and Madaket. The Jones family's Airdrie Stud bought the Creative Cause mare Creative Thinking, the dam of Thought Process, as a yearling. Creative Thinking won the 2018 Keertana Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs. Thought Process went through the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale as a $120,000 RNA and the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale as a $57,000 RNA. Collected is the sire of both Thought Process and second-place Vibez, as well as other 2026 stakes winners Killer Collect and Belmont Collection. Formerly standing at Airdrie in Kentucky, Collected has been moved to Rancho San Miguel near San Miguel, Calif., for the 2026 breeding season, where he is standing for $7,500.