Causeforcommotion comes through in Possibly Perfect Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Causeforcommotion had perfect timing in Sunday’s $82,635 Possibly Perfect Stakes at Santa Anita.

Closing from sixth under jockey Geovanni Franco, Causeforcommotion ($12.60) reached the front in the final furlong and won by a length over 4-1 Queen Blossom. In her last start, Causeforcommotion reached the front in the final furlong of the Grade 3 Santa Barbara Stakes but was caught late by Queen Blossom, losing by a half-length.

Trainer Ian Kruljac said before Sunday’s race that he thought Causeforcommotion “shut the engine down” after she made the lead in the Santa Barbara.

Sunday’s win helped raise Franco’s spirits. Earlier in the day, Franco learned that the 4-year-old filly Fault had suffered a leg injury that may end her career. Franco won three consecutive graded stakes on Fault this year for trainer Phil D’Amato.

Causeforcommotion ran 1 1/4 miles on turf in 2:01 in the Possibly Perfect Stakes for fillies and mares. Franco said Causeforcommotion had excellent momentum in the final half-mile, closing from fourth in a field of eight.

“She started going into the turn, and she had her eyes on the other horses,” he said. “She kept on running with the same focus. We got a nice setup, and that helped.”

Plein Air, the 5-2 favorite, set the pace, going 23.85 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.74 for a half-mile. Plein Air could not sustain the effort and was caught on the turn by Queen Blossom.

Queen Blossom is trained by Richard Baltas, who also finished third with Pantsonfire. Evo Campo finished fourth, followed by Dreamarcher, Plein Air, Barleysugar, and Night Time Inc.

Causeforcommotion, a 4-year-old filly by Americain, has won 3 of 14 starts and earned $196,030 for a partnership. The Santa Barbara and Possibly Perfect are her only appearances in stakes.