Fault goes last to first in Adoration Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - The 4-year-old filly Fault made her typical last-to-first move in the final half-mile of Sunday’s Grade 3 Adoration Stakes, arriving at the finish with a half-length to spare over the longshot Shenandoah Queen at Santa Anita.

Fault ($3.20) is unbeaten in three starts, all stakes, since joining trainer Phil D’Amato’s stable over the winter. The streak began with a one-length victory in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes on turf in February and continued with an easy win by 6 1/2 lengths in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational on dirt March 17.

The $100,345 Adoration Stakes was a bit more dramatic. Chasing a slow pace, Fault won by a narrow margin, even though jockey Geovanni Franco knew the filly has sharp acceleration.

“She was comfortable and I was comfortable,” Franco said. “I’d ask her a little bit and she’d go. She’s a really nice filly.”

Mended, the winner of 10 consecutive races in 2017, set a modest pace of 24.16 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.40 for a half-mile. At that point, Fault trailed by more than seven lengths, a margin that began to shrink on the turn.

With a wide rally, Fault was within two lengths of the front with a furlong remaining.

“She started increasing her stride,” Franco said. “When she got closer to those horses, I knew she’d get there in time.”

Fault was timed in 1:44.84. The early pace spooked trainer Phil D’Amato.

“It didn’t look too promising early,” D’Amato said. “Geovanni knew to keep her on the outside and keep her momentum.”

Shenandoah Queen, who won the restricted Tranquility Lake Stakes at Del Mar last August, finished a length in front of 7-1 Mended. La Force finished fourth, followed by Vale Dori and Demigoddess.

The Adoration was the first start of 2018 for Vale Dori, who won four stakes in 2017, including the Santa Margarita and Adoration Stakes.
Fault, by Blame, has won 6 of 16 starts. Owned by Agave Racing Stable and the Little Red Feather Racing partnership, Fault has earned $618,795 in her career and $420,000 this season.

D’Amato said Fault will start in a Grade 1 for fillies and mares later this spring – the $400,000 Beholder Mile here on June 2 or the $750,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park on June 9.

Franco is eager to see how much she can progress in coming races after a perfect start to the season.

“I think we can do a lot of nice things with her,” Franco said.