The Phil D’Amato train wasn’t just rolling, it was steaming, as the trainer beat his second bet win of the weekend of May 8 with $75,000 Angel’s Flight Stakes at Santa Anita . Park.
Inactive since being beaten well after two turns on October 1, Little Red Feather Racing’s Elm Drive makes each pole a win doing Angel’s Flight 2 1/4 extra length while getting seven feathers under Ricky Gonzalez’s lead in 1:23.97 on the fast track .
With an early scratch today of favorite morning odds Eda Angel Flight took on the look of an open love affair, but Elm Drive, ready to return home when challenged, prevailed as she scored her second bet win.
D’Amato, who leads the coach rankings with 38 wins and is one of the leaders in the standings Bob is suspended, said: “She broke sharp and just showed her command every step and have a little more to kick away.” Baffert leads in the stakes wins, with 12. “I’m very happy with her return. Seven-eighths is a tough distance to win from the bench, and I’m happy because we did it. I think she’s going to gain a lot from this race.”
Winner of Sorrento Stakes (G2) goes six times at Del Mar in its second start last year, Elm Drive then suffered major setbacks in Del Mar Debutante (G1) on September 5 and October 1 in Chandelier Stakes (G2).
With time off and returning to the sprint, she became a 2-1 second choice out of a field of 5 3-year-old mandrakes and was paid $6.00, $3.20, and $3.20. 2.40.
“I worked with her and we knew she was going to be a little bit more responsive, so the main thing for her was to relax,” said Gonzalez, who was on board for the first time. , who first boarded the train said. “She broke out really fast, so I just took the lead and I let her settle down a bit. When she went: 46 in the first half, I knew the race was over. She just flew home after that. .”
Elm Drive, a Kentucky dog breed bred by Mohaymen apart from Indian girl Charlie Lets Dance Charlie, is 3 for 5 and she has increased her earnings to 195,640 dollars.
Kirstenbosch elicited a considerable roar from the Mother’s Day crowd as she staged a rally that lasted from her last under Tyler Baze, ending 2 3/4 length in front of the favorite Empire Gal .
Empire Gal, piloted by Victor Espinoza, threatened at the top of the lane but couldn’t get along with the winner, finishing half way ahead of the long-running Unsolved Mystery, who finished fourth.
