Bloemer Girl manages to stay out of trouble in Sweet Life

ARCADIA, Calif. - Bloemer Girl was the fortunate winner on Saturday of the roughly run $94,150 Sweet Life Stakes, in which She’ll Heir lost her rider at the start, then appeared to hinder the progress of runner-up Cloneylass in the final furlong over the downhill turf course at Santa Anita.

Bloemer Girl ($29) was clear of the trouble in the race for 3-year-old fillies. While racing on the rail, she held on to win by a half-length under jockey Victor Espinoza. Cloneylass closed well, but jockey Corey Nakatani had to be tentative in the late going because She’ll Heir, running riderless in second, did not maintain a straight path.

Wallstreeter finished third, another 2 1/4 lengths back, and remained there after a foul claim by Russell Baze, who had to check sharply aboard Cambina at the top of the stretch when it appeared Rachel Jones drifted into her hindquarters. Rachel Jones finished behind Cambina.

She’ll Heir clipped the heels of Bloemer Girl leaving the gate and dislodged jockey Patrick Valenzuela, but, as with the Cambina incident, stewards opted to make no change. Valenzuela walked off under his own power, but took off his final mount of the day. His agent, Tom Knust, told Santa Anita’s publicity staff that Valenzuela was expected to ride Sunday.

Bloemer Girl completed about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course in 1:13.75. The Sweet Life was her third start, and her first on turf, after a pair of maiden races at Golden Gate. Bloemer Girl was bred in part by Dr. Rick Arthur, the equine medical director of the California Horse Racing Board, and is owned by his son Andrew and daughter Christa. She is trained by Jedd Josephson.