Amber Hills stuns field

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Amber Hills ($59) got a perfect trip and put away favored pacesetter Fudge Fatale in the final 16th to win the $83,850 Bay Meadows Oaks at Bay Meadows on Saturday.

Amber Hills, who won the California Oaks at Golden Gate Fields earlier this spring and the Black Swan at Fairplex as a 2-year-old, was making her turf debut.

She sat just behind Fudge Fatale throughout the race and made a strong move in the lane to win the 1 1/16-mile race by one-half length in 1:43.50. Gods Ear was another 3 1/2 lengths back in third.

"She likes to run off in the first part, and they told me not to fight her but not to let her pick up the bit," winning jockey Roberto Gonzalez said. "I thought (Fudge Fatale's jockey) was kinda running out of horse on the turn. I didn't think he'd have enough horse down the lane. When my horse changed leads, she took off."

Winning trainer Ed Moger Jr. said the victory was the best race of the 3-year-old filly's career.

"She's always been very athletic," he said. "She has a lot of talent, but she's had so many bad trips that you can throw out just about all of her races. Even when she won the California Oaks, she ran off early, and it was an ugly race. This was much better.

"She just needs a clean trip because she's a runner. She dug in down the lane."

Owner Curt Lanning purchased the Cal-bred filly as a yearling for $9,700.

"She's very good looking, and she's by Bold Badgett," he said. "I own a lot of Bold Badgetts, including Dream Boldly, who won the first race today."

Amber Hills earned $50,100, lifting her lifetime earnings to $194,830 with four wins in 12 starts.

Moger said she would be pointed to the Fleet Treat, a $100,000 seven-furlong race for 3-year-old Cal-bred fillies at Del Mar on July 27.