Big Pond stays unbeaten in Fleet Treat Stakes
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An unbeaten runner won Thursday’s $175,000 Fleet Treat Stakes for California-bred 3-year-old fillies at Del Mar, but the result was far from what observers expected.
Big Pond, who won her debut in a maiden race at Santa Anita in June, won her second start in the Fleet Treat Stakes, returning $9.80. Ceiling Crusher, who won her first four starts, including two springtime stakes for statebreds by a combined 32 1/2 lengths, could only finish third as the 1-5 favorite after bumping with a rival at the start.
Big Pond, ridden by Ramon Vazquez for owner and breeder George Krikorian, stalked pacesetter Smiling Lady through an opening quarter-mile in 22.22 seconds and took the lead on the turn of the seven-furlong race.
Entering the stretch, Big Pond was challenged on the outside by 5-1 Chismosa before she pulled clear to beat that rival by a length. Big Pond was timed in 1:23.37.
The win came on Krikorian’s 78th birthday.
Ceiling Crusher, fifth on the backstretch, closed on the rail through the stretch to finish a clear third. Ceiling Crusher was no threat to the winner, losing by 2 1/4 lengths.
Ceiling Crusher won the Evening Jewel Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs by 15 1/2 lengths in April and the Melair Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on May 28 by 17 lengths, both statebred races at Santa Anita.
Juan Hernandez was aboard for those wins and for the loss on Thursday.
“She didn’t make a run like the last few times,” Hernandez told FanDuel TV. “She didn’t have it today.”
Chismosa finished second in her second stakes this month in the Fleet Treat. She was a game second by a neck at 19-1 in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes for fillies and mares on July 4 at Los Alamitos in her graded stakes debut.
Cholly finished fourth, followed by Smiling Lady and Absolutely Zero. Tom’s Regret, the winner of the Pleasanton Oaks at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton on July 2, was scratched.
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Big Pond, by Mr. Big, has earned $136,350 from her two wins for trainer Tim Yakteen.
“As a 2-year-old, she showed me had some talent and then we had to give her a little bit of time,” Yakteen said. “She came back as a 3-year-old super healthy.
“This was a big step up, but the nice thing it was California-breds. She has the raw ability.”
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