Ancient Peace has pace advantage over late-running Paris Secret
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ARCADIA, Calif. – By the time upset candidate Paris Secret launches her rally in the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, popular opinion is that favorite Ancient Peace will be already gone.
However, contrarians have reasons to back the upset candidate in the mile and one-eighth turf race for 3-year-old fillies, despite the favorite’s conspicuous attributes.
Ancient Peace scored an impressive maiden turf win in December, and romped in an off-turf allowance in early April. Between those wins, Ancient Peace sold at auction and enters spring as one of the top filly turf prospects in California.
Six entered the Providencia, which as race 3 is sandwiched between the first 2-year-old races of the Santa Anita season. California-bred fillies sprint 4 1/2 furlongs in races 2 and 4.
In addition to Ancient Peace and Paris Secret, the Providencia includes local stakes winner Broadway Girls, Turf Paradise stakes winner Una Palabra, and maiden winners Pleasant Wave and Miss Lizzy.
John Sadler trains Ancient Peace for Travis Boersma’s Boardshorts Stables, and early indications are she was well worth her $650,000 January auction price. In her first start for Sadler and third of her career, Ancient Peace scored an impressive win racing a mile on dirt. She returns to turf Saturday and stretches out in distance.
“I don’t think distance is an issue with her,” Sadler said. “She showed a lot of speed the other day, but I think that was just because. She’s a pretty nice filly.”
Ancient Peace showed speed in the allowance because her rivals were slow. Though she wired a maiden turf race also, Sadler believes the 2-for-3 filly is multi-dimensional. He considered sending her to Churchill Downs for the Grade 2 Edgewood Stakes on May 5, but kept her home.
“It just made sense,” Sadler said. “She can run here, and we’re on the grass all summer with 3-year-old fillies.”
The Grade 3 Honeymoon is June 10 at Santa Anita, followed by filly turf races at Del Mar – the Grade 2 San Clemente on July 22, and Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks on Aug. 19.
The challenge for Ancient Peace and jockey Juan Hernandez is to avoid a duel with front-runner Broadway Girls. A contested pace would be fine for Paris Secret, who is likely to improve after finishing fourth in her U.S. debut at one mile.
“I think a mile and an eighth suits her even better,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. “And with that race under her belt, I’ve seen a nice improvement in her training. She’s a big, scopey filly and she’s bred to run all day.”
Paris Secret, who won her career debut in Ireland, is making just her third career start. Kazushi Kimura rides Paris Secret, whose final quarter-mile last out was 23.92 compared to the 24.15 final quarter by Ancient Peace in her maiden turf win in December.
D’Amato’s top nominee for the Providencia was multiple stakes winner Comanche Country, who shipped this week to Churchill and runs next week in the $500,000 Edgewood.
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