Fast and Shiny notches first career stakes win with Angels Flight

ARCADIA, Calif. - Fast and Shiny recorded an upset win from the front in Sunday’s $100,000 Angels Flight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on turf at Santa Anita, much to the appreciation of winning rider Abel Cedillo.

Cedillo has struggled this year amid a competitive roster of jockeys at the Southern California track. Fast and Shiny was Cedillo’s fifth win of the year with his 72nd mount. Last year, he won 77 races from 706 mounts.

“We just need a chance and the horse,” Cedillo said.

Cedillo rode Fast and Shiny for the first time in the Angels Flight Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course, the filly’s first career stakes win.

Cedillo had Fast and Shiny in front by a half-length over 3-1 Teena Ella through an opening quarter-mile in 22.38 seconds and in front by a length over that rival after a half-mile in 44.56.

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The longest shot in a field of five, Fast and Shiny ($17.20) led by a length over Teena Ella with a furlong remaining and won by a half-length, finishing in 1:13.19.

“No one followed me and I stole the race,” Cedillo said.

Teena Ella, who is out of the Hall of Fame mare Beholder, finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of 9-10 favorite Manhattan Jungle. The stewards conducted an inquiry into an incident in which Teena Ella drifted out when she crossed from the hillside course to the main turf oval, forcing Manhattan Jungle to race wide.

There was no change to the order of finish.

Despite the incident, Teena Ella closed ground in the final furlong. The Angels Flight Stakes was Teena Ella’s stakes debut in her fourth start.

“She spooked at the dirt,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “If she didn’t do that…she did come on. We’re excited.”

Manhattan Jungle, the winner of the Sweet Life Stakes on the hillside turf course on Feb. 11, was third on the hillside, but never reached contention in the stretch under jockey Juan Hernandez.

Broadway Girls and Ragtime Rose completed the order of finish.

Fast and Shiny, by Bernardini, has won 3 of 7 starts and earned $193,700 for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman and trainer Bob Baffert.

The Angels Flight was Fast and Shiny’s fourth appearance in a stakes. Fast and Shiny was third in the Grade 3 Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs on dirt in her first start of the year on Jan. 8 and won an allowance race on dirt on Feb. 19.

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