Going to Vegas gives Baltas fourth consecutive victory in Santa Ana

ARCADIA, Calif. – Loose on the lead, Going to Vegas proved impossible to catch in Saturday’s Grade 3 Santa Ana Stakes for fillies and mares on turf at Santa Anita. The victory gave trainer Richard Baltas a record fourth consecutive win in the Santa Ana, which was first held in 1968. Baltas won the Santa Ana from 2017-2019. The race was not run in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The late Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel won the Santa Ana eight times, but never more than twice in succession.

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Going to Vegas won her first stakes in the $100,500 Santa Ana at 1 1/4 miles. The win left Baltas contemplating a start for Going to Vegas in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf May 31.

“We might take a shot there,” Baltas said. “She’s getting better as she matures as a 4-year-old filly.

“She put it together. She looked happy on the lead out there by herself. She surprised me how she finished.”

Going to Vegas ($8.60) finished 3 3/4 lengths in front of the runner-up, 2-5 favorite Mucho Unusual, the 2020 California-bred horse of the year. Mucho Unusual won the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes on turf here last September and won two Grade 3 stakes on turf earlier at this meeting.

Going to Vegas was claimed for $50,000 last June by Baltas, Harry Bederian, Harout Kamberian and Hagop Nakkashian. The filly, who has earned $190,740 since being claimed, was sold to current owners Abbondanza Racing, Medallion Racing, and the My Racehorse syndicate after a second-place finish in the Grade 1 American Oaks here in December, the last of three consecutive seconds in graded stakes.

Abbondanza has owned or co-owned three of the Baltas-trained Santa Ana winners, including Goodyearforroses in 2017 and Elysea’s World in 2019.

Through Sunday, Baltas has five stakes wins at the winter-spring meeting. He has a chance to add to that total when Ippodamia’s Girl starts in what should be a competitive running of the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes at a mile on turf for fillies and mares on Saturday.

Ippodamia’s Girl, 6, returned from a layoff of more than 16 months to win an allowance race at a mile on turf on March 12. Baltas also may run Colonial Creed, who was fourth behind Mucho Unusual in the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes in January and was withdrawn from the Santa Ana.

Other candidates for the $200,000 Royal Heroine are the stakes winners Charmaine’s Mia, Dogtag, Maxim Rate, and Raymundos Secret, and the allowance race winner Tapwater, a late scratch from the Santa Ana.

Trainer Simon Callaghan said Maxim Rate could be sent to Keeneland for the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes on turf on April 10.

The Royal Heroine is one of six stakes on Saturday’s program, a blockbuster day of racing led by the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. The program will include a mandatory payout in the 20-cent Rainbow pick six.