Daddysruby, Big Pond get rematch in Spring Fever Stakes

The final furlong of the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita provided a thrilling duel between Daddysruby and Big Pond, with the pair separated at the finish by a nose.

Nearly eight weeks later, the rematch occurs in an unexpected race – Sunday’s $100,000 Spring Fever Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at six furlongs at Santa Anita.

Both Daddysruby and Big Pond were considered for other races. Trainer Peter Miller, who saddles Daddysruby, said a recent allowance race at Oaklawn Park failed to draw sufficient entries and that travel arrangements to Laurel for Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Barbara Fritchie Stakes proved too difficult.

Big Pond missed an intended start in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes on Feb. 3 because of illness, trainer Tim Yakteen said.

The Spring Fever drew a field of six, all stakes winners or stakes-placed since late November.

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The field includes the 5-year-old mares Rose Dawson and Rose Maddox, stakes winners who race for owner and breeder Nick Alexander. Rose Maddox won her 2024 debut in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint on the hillside course on Jan. 13 for trainer Steve Miyadi.

Scary Fast Ride and All Dialed In were second and third in the Bear Fan Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at Golden Gate Fields in December for trainer Sean McCarthy.

Daddysruby and Big Pond can win their second stakes in the Spring Fever.

Daddysruby had a one-length lead with a furlong remaining in the La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs and was fully extended to hold off Big Pond, who was four lengths clear of third.

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“I thought it was a gutty race by both fillies,” Miller said. “It was one of those races that deserved to be a dead heat. We got the bob.”

Daddysruby is likely to set the pace in the Spring Fever and may have an advantage in that regard, Miller said.

“I think going three-quarters might give us a little bit of an edge,” Miller said.

Miller said Daddysruby had an unpublished half-mile work in 48 seconds at the San Luis Rey Downs training center on Monday for the Spring Fever.

“She worked extremely well,” he said.

When entries were taken Thursday, jockey Drayden Van Dyke was listed to ride Daddysruby but as an alternate jockey. Miller said Friday that he planned to name Edwin Maldonado.

Juan Hernandez has ridden Daddysruby in her last four starts, but is booked on Rose Dawson for trainer Phil D’Amato. Rose Dawson is winless in three starts since an allowance race at Los Alamitos in September.

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Big Pond, who won the Fleet Treat Stakes for statebred 3-year-old fillies at Del Mar last July, worked a quick five furlongs in 59.60 seconds last Sunday. The exercise indicated to Yakteen that Big Pond had recovered from her recent illness, which the trainer described as “a little bug.”

“She’s rebounded and is coming into the race in good order,” Yakteen said.

“We need to beat Daddysruby – and beat them all – but Daddysruby is a gifted filly.”

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