Amaranth runs away with Betamerica.com Oaks

The speedy Amaranth ($9.60), winless in three starts as a 2-year-old, made it 3 for 3 as a 3-year-old with a front-running seven-length victory in the $56,515 Betamerica.com Oaks at the Oak Tree at Pleasanton meet Sunday at the Alameda County Fairgrounds.

A $150,000 2-year-old-in-training purchase at Ocala in April 2013, Amaranth broke sharply and established an immediate lead over Sprouts. The two were separated only by one length down the backstretch to the quarter pole when Amaranth pulled clear, increasing her margin to seven at the wire over Sprouts.

Sprouts easily held second, defeating D’ya Knowwhatimean by 2 1/2 lengths in the six-furlong race. The undefeated favorite City by the Bay pressed the top pair but had nothing left in the lane, finishing seventh in the field of eight.

The winning time was 1:10.35 after early fractions of 22.27 seconds and 45.00.

Amaranth won her 2014 debut by 1 1/4 lengths April 19 after dueling for the opening half. She came back in an optional claimer to win by three in front-running style before capturing her stakes debut.

“In looking at this race as a sprint stakes, there wasn’t a lot of speed,” said winning rider Dennis Carr. “[Trainer] O.J. [Jauregui] brought her over here last week, and she worked like a freak. She really took to the track. I probably should have looked back at the 16th pole, but she was having as much fun as I was out there.”

Jauregui said Amaranth can be a little spirited, and she was sweaty in the paddock.

“I knew she had ability, and I knew she was going to run good, but after she did it, I was more happy and pleased,” he said. “This is the first stakes I’ve won for her owners.”

Owned by Highland Yard LLC, the Mr. Greeley filly earned $32,850 for the victory in her stakes debut, nearly doubling her earnings to $67,820.