Becca Taylor pulls away in stakes debut, climbs to 4-0

ARCADIA, Calif. - Becca Taylor won her stakes debut in Saturday’s $152,000 Evening Jewel Stakes for California-bred 3-year-old fillies to maintain a perfect record through four starts.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, his fourth stakes win on the 12-race program, Becca Taylor ($5) stalked pacesetter Pray for My Owner to the turn before pulling clear from eight rivals. Sent off favored, Becca Taylor won by 2 1/4 lengths over 10-1 Fi Fi Pharoah, who closed from eighth in the final quarter-mile.

I’m So Anna, a stakes winner at Golden Gate Fields last October, finished third at 12-1.

Becca Taylor, who races for owner and breeder Nick Alexander and trainer Steve Miyadi, was timed in 1:17.15 for 6 1/2 furlongs and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 72.

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Pawnee finished fourth, followed by Dylans Wild Cat, Pray for My Owner, Maybe I Will, Governor Goteven and Big Clare.

Becca Taylor’s four wins have come against California-breds – a maiden special weight race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Los Alamitos in December and six-furlong allowance races at Santa Anita on turf in January and on dirt on Feb. 21.

ECHO EDDIE STAKES

The Chosen Vron, third in the Grade 3 San Vicente Stakes on Feb. 6, won the $152,000 Echo Eddie Stakes for statebred 3-year-olds in Saturday’s 12th and final race.

Ridden by Mike Smith, The Chosen Vron closed from a stalking position on the rail. Smith moved The Chosen Vron to a wide position in early stretch and caught 7-1 Good With People in the final sixteenth to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

The Chosen Vron ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.80 in a hand-timed race. He earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 90.

Letsgetlucky (8-1) finished third, beaten 4 1/2 lengths.

Found My Ball finished fourth, but was disqualified and placed seventh for causing interference to None Above the Law on the backstretch. Mister Bold was promoted to fifth, followed by Sabuda, None Above the Law, Found My Ball, Cargo, and Big Flame in the revised order of finish.

Alpine Thunder was a late scratch after becoming upset in the gate. Alpine Thunder was 90-1.

Good With People won two stakes for statebreds at Del Mar last year.

The Chosen Vron, a gelding by Vronsky, has won 2 of 3 starts and earned $150,600 for owners Robert Fetkin, John Sondereker, Richard Thornburgh, and trainer Eric Kruljac, who is part of the ownership group.

The Chosen Vron won his debut in a maiden special weight race for California-bred 3-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs on Dec. 27. In the $200,000 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs, The Chosen Vron was third of five, finishing 3 1/4 lengths behind Concert Tour, who won the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 13 and is the expected favorite in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 10.