Coffee in Bed outlasts Super Shine in Santa Maria Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - Nothing went right for Coffee in Bed in the buildup to the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita on March 9.

“She suffered the most because of the intermittent training in the rain in the winter,” trainer Richard Mandella said.

Coffee in Bed finished sixth in the Beholder Mile, beating one rival.

With brighter conditions in recent weeks, and a newly installed training track to use on the occasional wet morning, Coffee in Bed had a consistent training schedule. The better pattern showed when Coffee in Bed won her first stakes in Sunday’s Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita.

“The last month has been great,” Mandella said.

So was Coffee in Bed’s performance in the $201,000 Santa Maria.

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Ridden by Mike Smith, Coffee in Bed stalked a quick early pace, raced wide on the backstretch, and reached the front in early stretch. Leading narrowly through the final furlong, Coffee in Bed dueled with a stubborn pacesetter in 7-2 Super Shine before winning by a neck.

Coffee in Bed ($10.40) was timed in 1:45.16 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 82.

“It’s so fun to win,” said Smith, the 58-year-old Hall of Famer.

“I knew in the first few jumps they were going fast. We were wide but she was comfortable. I knew she was fit.”

Super Shine, a three-time Group 2 winner in Argentina in 2022 and 2023, was part of a solid early pace of 22.66 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.64 for a half-mile. Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Super Shine led by a half-length after six furlongs and fought through the final sixteenth to stay close to Coffee in Bed.

“Mike passed me and she still fought back,” Dettori told trainer Phil D’Amato.

The D’Amato-trained Desert Dawn finished third, beaten three-quarters of a length as the 3-5 favorite. Desert Dawn was favored on the strength of a win in the Grade 3 La Canada Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 20 and a fourth in the Beholder Mile.

Blue Dream Machine, Turnerloose, Princess Bettina and Liberal Lady completed the order of finish in the Santa Maria.

Coffee in Bed, owned by Spendthrift Farm, has won 3 of 9 starts and earned $253,860. Bought for $500,000 as a yearling in 2021, Coffee in Bed, 4, was second in the La Canada Stakes in January in her first start of the year.

For Smith, the Santa Maria was his first stakes win since Lane Way won the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes at Santa Anita last September, and his 12th win of 2024. He had two-win days on April 4 and on Friday.

“I still love it,” Smith said. “I still want the opportunities.”

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