Carressa proves comfortable on turf in Megahertz Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – One of the reasons Carressa was entered in Monday’s Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes on turf at Santa Anita was a lack of race options, trainer John Shirreffs said before the weekend.

The $101,000 Megahertz Stakes was a jump in class level from a recent win in an allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option on dirt, but a race Shirreffs wanted to try because of the surface switch.

The result may lead to a change in career direction for Carressa.

In her first start on turf, Carressa closed from a stalking position to win the one-mile race by three-quarters of a length over 5-2 Super Patriot. La Sardane, the winner of the Grade 3 Intercontinental Stakes at Belmont Park in 2018, finished third at 14-1.

The Megahertz Stakes was Carressa’s first start since a convincing win by 8 1/4 lengths in the optional claimer on dirt at Del Mar on Nov. 22.

“Carressa has always been a good finisher,” Shirreffs said. “Today, she had to fight off pressure. She did.”

Shirreffs credited jockey Victor Espinoza with preserving Carressa’s energy in her stakes debut on Monday. Carressa raced two lengths behind Keeper Ofthe Stars, who led through an opening quarter-mile in 23.61 seconds and Brill who was in front by 1 1/2 lengths after a half-mile in 46.83.

Carressa was racing in fourth for the first half-mile.

“Victor does such a good job with horses like that,” Shirreffs said. “She wants to have own way and was pulling pretty hard on the first turn. He got her to settle and that was key.”

With a three-wide move, Carresa led by a length with a furlong remaining. She finished in 1:34.64.

The Megahertz was Super Patriot’s graded stakes debut and first start since a second by a nose in the restricted Kathryn Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 8.

“She always fires,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “She ran her race. She’s a very good horse.”

Super Patriot, owned by a partnership that includes Little Red Feather Racing and Baltas, was claimed for $35,000 last June. She earned $20,000 for the runner-up finish in the Megahertz.

La Sardane finished a neck behind Super Patriot in her third start after a six-month layoff caused after she was involved in a spill here last March.

“She’ll improve off that,” trainer Neil Drysdale said. “We’re very pleased. She ran very well.”

Carressa, a 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo, has won 3 of 6 starts and earned $159,302 for a partnership that includes Mercedes Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott Dilworth, Dottie and David Ingordo, and Steve Mooney.

Streak of Luck finished fourth, followed by Take These Chains, Keeper Ofthe Stars, and Brill, the 5-2 favorite.

Brill had a narrow lead with a quarter-mile remaining, but could not sustain the effort. Jockey Mike Smith said Brill was an eager filly in the first half-mile.

“I didn’t want to make the lead,” he said. “I didn’t have any choice.

“The thing that won kept running.”