Ben's Duchess capitalizes on hot pace to win LA Woman

ARCADIA, Calif. - The long way was the best way for Ben’s Duchess in Sunday’s $100,000 LA Woman Stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita.

Ben’s Duchess rallied five-wide in a field of five to win the Grade 3 LA Woman for her first stakes win.

The win left trainer John Sadler contemplating a start in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland on Oct. 31 for Ben’s Duchess, who races for Doubledown Stables.

Despite the wide journey, Ben’s Duchess ($19.60) had an ideal trip under jockey Joe Talamo in the LA Woman. Her four rivals were involved in a torrid speed battle that proved costly.

Unforgettable U, Wasted at Midnight, Uzziel, and Taris raced across the track through fractions of 21.29 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 43.45 for a half-mile. Ben’s Duchess trailed by more than seven lengths on the backstretch and by more than five lengths entering the stretch. With a wide move in early stretch, Ben’s Duchess was in front with a furlong to go, and pulled away to win by 3 1/4 lengths over 5-1 Uzziel.

Taris, the 3-5 favorite, finished third, followed by Unforgettable U and Wasted At Midnight. Taris won the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap in her 2015 debut at Del Mar on Aug. 16.

Ben’s Duchess was timed in 1:15.79.

“We really had a good trip,” Talamo said. “I had so much horse I had to circle the field.”

Ben’s Duchess made her graded stakes debut in the LA Woman. She was second or third in three minor sprint stakes earlier this year, including a runner-up finish in the CERF Stakes at Del Mar on Sept. 6. A 3-year-old filly by Munnings, Ben’s Duchess has won 4 of 9 starts and earned $222,396.

The loss by Taris frustrated trainer Simon Callaghan, who said he will continue to plan a trip to Kentucky.

“The fractions told in the end,” he said.