Del Mar: Closing Range surges late to upset Osunitas Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. - From Florida by way of Indiana, Closing Range found her way to the winner’s circle of the $102,550 Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar on Saturday, closing in the final sixteenth to catch 7-5 favorite Unusual Hottie in the last strides of the turf race.

Ridden by Corey Nakatani, Closing Range ($35.40) rallied from seventh in a field of 10 fillies and mares to win by a neck, finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.44. Closing Range was fifth at the eighth pole, trailing then leader A Time to Love by three lengths.

Unusual Hottie, who started favored on the strength of a three-race winning streak, looked like a winner in the final furlong, and held second, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of I Dazzle, a 5-1 chance.

Appealing finished fourth, followed by A Time to Love, Dancingtothestars, Top Kisser, A Jealous Woman, Long Face, and Maker or Breaker.

Closing Range made her California debut in the Osunitas, which was restricted to fillies and mares that had not won a stakes worth $50,000 or more to the winner, other than statebred races, at a mile or longer this year.

Closing Range won the Grade 3 Le Prevoyante Stakes for fillies and mares over 1 1/2 miles on turf at Calder last fall, but was fifth in her only start of 2013 – the Girls Inc. of Shelbyville, Shelby County Stakes over a mile on turf at Indiana Downs on June 15.

Trained by Phil Oliver, Closing Range races for Ian Banwell’s St. George Farm Racing. A 4-year-old filly by After Market, Closing Range has won 5 of 10 starts and $212,636.