Canoodling takes early lead all the way in Wilshire Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - A new rider used an old tactic to guide Canoodling to her second stakes win of 2022 in Sunday’s Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes for fillies and mares on turf at Santa Anita.

Juan Hernandez, who had not ridden Canoodling since 2020, urged the 4-year-old to the lead shortly after the start and won without difficulty over Eddie’s New Dream, a stakes winner against statebreds in March.

Canoodling ($9.60) was timed in 1:34.90 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 92. Hernandez had Canoodling in front by a half-length after a quarter-mile in 23.08 seconds and by a length after a half-mile in 46.86.

“She broke very sharp,” Hernandez said. “My plan was to stalk. I played the break. At the three-eighths pole, she was really strong.”

The trailing field of seven could not get closer in the final half-mile. Canoodling won by 1 3/4 lengths over 4-1 Eddie’s New Dream, who was a half-length in front of 5-1 England’s Rose.

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Amy C finished fourth, followed by Javanica, Keyflower, Stella Noir and Quiet Secretary. Keyflower, the 5-2 favorite, was never closer than sixth, and was beaten 4 1/2 lengths.

Canoodling, by Pioneerof the Nile, has won 8 of 16 starts and earned $342,023 for B-4 Farms. Trained by Mike Puype, Canoodling has had four starts in Southern California since the beginning of the current Santa Anita winter-spring meeting on Dec. 26.

New Mexico-based jockey Roimes Chirinos rode Canoodling to a 22-1 win in the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes in January and to a fifth in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes in March before Hernandez took the mount in the $101,500 Wilshire Stakes.

Canoodling led throughout the Megahertz, but was sixth in the first half of the Buena Vista after breaking through the gate before the start and racing in traffic early in the one-mile turf race.

Canoodling has won four stakes, two at Santa Anita and two in New Mexico in the second half of 2021 when trained by Todd Fincher. Chirinos rode Canoodling to the stakes wins in New Mexico.