Fast and Foxy repeats in Bear Fan Stakes

The strategy is simple for Fast and Foxy ($5), who defended her title in Saturday’s $75,450 Bear Fan at Golden Gate Fields.

The 7-year-old Thisnearlywasmine mare is sent to the front, and she’s very tough to catch. Fast and Foxy scored her 16th career victory with another wire-to-wire performance, and all 16 have come at Golden Gate Fields.

“I don’t know why, but I’ve only had three or four horses from Joe [Daehling, breeder and co-owner] who didn’t like this surface,” said trainer and co-owner Holly Evans.

Although her margin of victory over Cuddle Alert was only a half-length compared with last year’s 4 1/2-length margin over Light One, Fast and Foxy’s 1:09.43 clocking was five one-hundredths of a second faster than last year’s winning time.

“The only thing I have to worry about is the other jockeys and if they’ll pressure her too strong early,” said Evans. “Catalino [Martinez, the winning jockey] knows to let her go.”

Martinez urged Fast and Foxy early outgunning a determined Spring Heat for the lead. He let her roll through a 22.37-second opening quarter and 45.15 half-mile as she opened up a three-length lead on the turn.

She was still easily in front in the lane, and, although Cuddle Alert cut into the advantage, Fast and Foxy always looked the winner. Run for Retts, the longest shot in the field of seven, finished third another 1 1/4 lengths back.

“Last time, she was a little short because a race kept getting postponed, so I was only giving her four-furlong works,” said Evans, “but she got a pair of six-furlong works for this.”

The victory brightened a frustrating week for Evans, who saw two of her runners suffer broken bones.

Fast and Foxy earned $45,000 for her victory and now has career earnings of $513,805 in her 46-race career.