Big City Lights made it two in a row in the $100,500 Thor's Echo Stakes May 23 at Santa Anita Park. The race was the first of five stakes for California-bred or -sired runners.
Trained by Richard Mandella, the 7-year-old son of Mr. Big rated in third in the opening stages of the race off the leader Book Smart, who set fractions of :22.54, :44.62, and :57.04. Big City Lights tracked Book Smart comfortably down the backstretch under jockey Kazushi Kimura before swinging outside rivals on the far turn.
As the field hit the top of the stretch, Big City Lights was 2 lengths behind Book Smart but under a drive. In the last sixteenth, he came head-to-head with the pacesetter before kicking clear to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Owned by William Peeples, Big City Lights finished the 6 furlongs on a fast main track in a final time of 1:09.32, and paid $3.80 to win as the post-time favorite.
"Last race was 7 furlongs and it was easy to make a plan," Kimura said. "Today, more horses had speed. When I got to the top of the stretch, I had full confidence in him. He is 7 years old and he keeps continuing to be strong. He is one that always makes me smile. I'm so happy and appreciative of Mr. Mandella for continuing to support me. This is a special horse to ride."
Video: Thor's Echo S. (BT)
Grand Slam Smile WINS Fran's Valentine
In the $101,000 Fran's Valentine Stakes, Grand Slam Smile held off a wall of competitors in the stretch.
The 5-year-old daughter of Smiling Tiger broke slowly under jockey William Antongeorgi III, but gained the lead soon after, setting fractions of :24.03, :48.25, 1:12.66, and 1:24.18. Grand Slam Smile had a clear lead down the backstretch, and hit the stretch a length in front, with many rivals rallying around her. She continued to dig in and hit the wire a half-length in front of Take Another Card.
Trained by Sean McCarthy and a homebred for Marianne and Larry Williams, she completed the mile on the firm turf in 1:35.94. Sent off at 1-2, she paid $3 for the win. Grand Slam Smile is now 12-6-3 in 21 lifetime starts with career earnings of $984,120.
Video: Fran's Valentine S. (BT)
Flyover goes gate to wire in Crystal Water
Under jockey Antonio Fresu, Flyover flew out of the gate in the $101,000 Crystal Water Stakes and never looked back.
The 5-year-old son of Om set fractions of :22.74, :45.74, 1:08.97, and 1:21.03, commanding the pace down the backstretch. Flyover turned for home 2 lengths in front under a hand ride and held clear. Second-place finisher On the Whim tried to pick him up in the final sixteenth, but it was too little, too late. The John Sadler trainee hit the wire a length in front as the 4-5 favorite. Owned by Integrity Thoroughbred Racing, ITR, The Ellwood Johnston Trust, and Kenneth A. Tevelde, Flyover completed the mile on the turf in a final time of 1:33.50 and paid $3.60 for a $2 wager.
Video: Crystal Water S. (BT)
Mohaven dominates the Melair Stakes
In gate-to-wire fashion, Mohaven landed her second stakes race in a row in the $125,500 Melair Stakes.
The 3-year-old daughter of Yaupon set fractions of :23.51, :47.40, 1:11.40 and 1:37.41 in the 1 1/16-mile journey. She coasted down the backstretch under jockey Emisael Jaramillo, traveling comfortably. As the field hit the top of the stretch, she had a 5-length lead on the Cecilia Street and continued to widen, never being challenged. The Legacy Ranch-owned filly hit the wire 6 easy lengths in front of runner-up Cecilia Street, and paid $3.20 to win as the 3-5 favorite in a final time of 1:44.89. Trainer Sadler won back-to-back stakes races on Santa Anita's Saturday card.
Video: Melair S. (BT)
Unrivaled Time Gets up in the snow chief
At odds of 2-1, Unrivaled Time scored in the $127,500 Snow Chief Stakes.
The Leonard Powell trainee settled at the back of the field after the break, well off pacesetter Trump Era, who posted fractions of :23.27, :46.89, 1:11.59, and 1:35.92. Under jockey Armando Ayuso, Unrivaled Time was as many as 11 lengths back in ninth behind a strung-out field on the backstretch. As they approached the far turn, he began to breeze by his competition, picking them off one by one. He came under a heavy drive as the field hit the stretch, now only 2 1/2 lengths behind the leader.
Grinding out the final sixteenth, Unrivaled Time caught Trump Era just in time to score by a head. Post-time favorite He's a Knockout stumbled at the start and was rushed up to settle off the leader in the opening stages of the race, but faltered in the stretch. Unrivaled Time finished the 1 1/8-mile turf race in a final time of 1:48.04. Owned by Innergy Racing and Alfred Pais, the son of Not This Time paid $6 for the win.
