Into Chocolate springs upset in Chillingworth Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – After nearly finishing last in the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar in August, Into Chocolate won her first stakes in her 11th start in Friday’s Grade 3 Chillingworth Stakes for female sprinters at Santa Anita.

Into Chocolate changed considerably in the five weeks between starts. Into Chocolate arrived in California days before the Rancho Bernardo from New York. She beat one horse in the Rancho Bernardo for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 21 and needed time to recover from the trip across the country and the race, trainer Clifford Sise said.

“She was body sore,” Sise said. “Her blood count wasn’t great. She really turned it around after the race.”

Into Chocolate was dismissed as the 8-1 fourth choice in a field of five in the Chillingworth. Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Into Chocolate closed from third in the final quarter-mile to win by three-quarters of a length over 3-5 favorite Qahira, who set the pace.

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Rispoli had Into Chocolate on the rail to the turn and found room outside of Qahira and Amuse before taking the lead.

“I had so much underneath me,” Rispoli said. “I had to wait for room to get clear. She responded.”

Qahira set early fractions of 22.18 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.94 for a half-mile, closely tracked by 2-1 Amuse. Qahira led by a half-length with a furlong remaining, holding an advantage of about 1 1/2 lengths over Into Chocolate.

Into Chocolate ran 6 1-2 furlongs in 1:15.86 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 87.

Amuse finished third, followed by Hang a Star, and Mucho Amor in the small field.

Into Chocolate was based with Sise in her 3-year-old season in 2019, a campaign that included a third in the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar in August of that year. Into Chocolate had two starts for trainer Bill Mott earlier this year. She was second in the Minaret Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in February and won an optional claimer at Belmont Park in July.

Sise said after the Chillingworth that he would consult with the Wygods about a potential start for Into Chocolate in the Breeders’ Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

A 4-year-old filly by Into Mischief, Into Chocolate is a full sister to the 3-year-old filly Secret Keeper, who was second for the Wygods and Sise in the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes on Aug. 22 at Del Mar.