Retama: Patty's Pride drops to face Texas-breds in Fiesta Mile

Patty’s Pride has proven herself against open company more than once this year, by winning stakes in Louisiana and Oklahoma. Saturday night, she gets a rare shot with fellow Texas-breds in the $50,000 Fiesta Mile at Retama Park.

The Fiesta, for fillies and mares at a mile on turf, heads a stakes triple. There are also two divisions of the Texas Stallion Stakes on the program, both for 2-year-olds at six furlongs. Each race is worth $75,000.

Patty’s Pride is a turf specialist, but her first stakes win this year came in an off-the-turf Matron at Evangeline Downs. She closed from last in the one-mile race July 21, then two starts later used similar tactics to win the Ricks Memorial at a mile on turf at Remington Park.

“She’s been fun,” said Karl Broberg, who trains Patty’s Pride for Brian Schartz. “She got that stakes win when it was rained off the grass, and that surprised all of us. I had felt strongly about scratching her when it came off. She’s got a lot of heart.”

But Patty’s Pride did not get much of a trip in her last start, when she was hung seven-wide into the final turn of a 7 1/2-furlong turf allowance at Retama on Nov. 9. She closed from farther back than usual to miss by a half-length, after breaking from post 8.

“We’re drawn towards the rail, and I’m expecting better trip for her this go round,” said Broberg. “The way speed has held on the Retama turf course, it’s going to be in her best interest to be a little closer. But I’ll leave that in the hands of the jockey.”

Glen Murphy has the mount.

Broberg will also send out Sera’s Tunnel, an allowance winner at Remington Park.

“I like my one-two punch in there,” he said. [Sera’s Tunnel] has been improving. We claimed her at Shreveport and she went gate to wire in her last race there. Each race has been a little better than the previous out.”

Jose Figueroa has the mount.

“I expect her to be forwardly-placed,” said Broberg. “Breaking from the 11 post, she’ll be forced to go.”

The field of 12 also includes Circustown Rose, who won a Texas-bred stakes over Patty’s Pride in June.

◗ Estrickator moves back into the restricted ranks for the colts and geldings division of the Stallion Stakes after placing in two open company races, the Kip Deville at Remington and the Governor’s Cup at Zia. Murphy has the mount for trainer Steve Asmussen.

◗ Jockey Cliff Berry is in from Remington to ride Tastefullyxcessive in the fillies division of the Stallion Stakes. She enters off an allowance win for trainer Bret Calhoun.