Santa Anita: Lady of Shamrock rallies for third straight turf stakes win in Providencia

ARCADIA, Calif. – Lady of Shamrock has finished the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting with a perfect record on turf.

On Saturday, the 3-year-old filly won her third consecutive turf stakes in the $150,000 Providencia Stakes over 1 1/8 miles. The only blemish on her record since arriving at trainer John Sadler’s barn last fall was a third in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes on dirt here in January.

Lady of Shamrock won the Blue Norther Stakes on turf in December and the China Doll Stakes on turf in March. Both races were over a mile.

The Providencia Stakes was her first appearance in a graded stakes on turf and first start over 1 1/8 miles. She handled the new conditions with ease, closing from last in a field of five to win by 2 3/4 lengths. Ridden by Mike Smith, the 4,999th win of his career, Lady of Shamrock was timed in 1:46.80.

[Mike Smith wins his 5,000th race]

Lady of Shamrock trailed by as many as eight lengths on the backstretch and was still last by nearly seven lengths on the final turn. Smith urged Lady of Shamrock between horses through the stretch, and the filly responded to take the lead in the final furlong.

“Earlier today, Mike came up to me and said, ‘What about the lack of pace?’ ” trainer John Sadler said. “I said, ‘Don’t change her style. Ride with a lot of faith.’ ”

The 27-1 outsider Ms Pianist dueled with Charm the Maker through early fractions of 24.77 and 47.39 seconds for the first half-mile before Charm the Maker took the lead. Charm the Maker led on the turn and by 2 1/2 lengths in the stretch, but tired in the final furlong, fading to finish fourth.

Lady of Shamrock finished clear of runner-up Byrama, who was fourth early. Killer Graces, winner of the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes last December, finished third, 3 1/4 lengths behind the winner in her first start on turf.

Lady of Shamrock, by Scat Daddy, races for Hronis Racing and has won 4 of 7 starts and $225,400. She began her career with Ronny Werner in New York and Kentucky before joining Sadler’s barn.

Belle Royale wins U.S. debut in American Beauty

Belle Royale ($4.40) rallied from eighth in a field of nine to win the $82,650 American Beauty Stakes in her United States debut.

Ridden by Joel Rosario, Belle Royale closed wide through the stretch to win by a half-length over 17-1 pacesetter A Jealous Woman. Go Forth North, making her first start since September, finished third.

Belle Royal ran a mile on turf in 1:33.09.

Belle Royale won her fourth consecutive start in the American Beauty Stakes, having won three handicap races in England last August and September. A 4-year-old filly by Val Royal, Belle Royale is trained by Simon Callaghan for Michael Tabor.