Dainey impresses with stakes-debut triumph in Becca Taylor
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CYPRESS, Calif. - Dainey won her stakes debut in her second start in Saturday’s $100,500 Becca Taylor Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Los Alamitos in the same manner she won her first appearance in a maiden race at Santa Anita in May.
She stalked the pace, took the lead in the stretch and recorded an impressive victory.
Dainey beat maidens by a half-length in a six-furlong race. She won the Taylor by 2 1/4 lengths against five rivals under jockey Emisael Jaramillo.
A strong favorite, Dainey ($3.20) was timed in 1:09.82
Dainey tracked pacesetter Billie Holiday through an opening quarter-mile in 21.86 seconds, and took the lead from Billie Holiday after a half-mile in 45.33. Dainey was clear by two lengths with a furlong remaining.
“She’s a nice filly,” Jaramillo said. “She was in a good position.”
Kinzlee’scharisma (16-1) closed from last to finish second, 5 1/4 lengths clear of 7-1 La Ville Lumiere, who finished third, followed by Mohaven, Billie Holiday and Troisieme Etoile.
Kinzlee’scharmisma broke through the gate before the start and was quickly reloaded.
Dainey, by Tiz the Law, races for Hal and Patty Earnhardt and trainer Bob Baffert. The filly was purchased for $110,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July yearling sale in 2024.
Dainey has never run beyond six furlongs, but Jaramillo said the filly should be effective at longer distances.
“Seven furlongs or a mile, no problem,” Jaramillo said.
Dainey was the last of four stakes wins by Baffert on Saturday. Baffert had three stakes wins at Churchill Downs, led by Splendora in the Grade 2 Locust Grove Stakes for fillies and mares.
Baffert, 73, has won 50 Thoroughbred stakes at Los Alamitos, a stakes at the 1990 Orange County Fair, and 49 stakes at daytime Thoroughbred meetings since 2014. Los Alamitos replaced Hollywood Park on the Southern California daytime circuit in 2014. Baffert also had a leading Quarter Horse stable at Los Alamitos in the 1980s and early 1990s before focusing entirely on his Thoroughbred stable in late 1991.
The Taylor Stakes was Jaramillo’s first career win at Los Alamitos. He relocated from Florida to California last December, and was the leading rider at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting. At the Del Mar summer meeting that ended last Monday, the 49-year-old Jaramillo finished fifth in the standings with 25 wins, 17 fewer than leader Joel Rosario.
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