Goodyearforroses blooms in Robert Frankel Stakes
ARCADIA, Calif. - Goodyearforroses was the easy winner of Saturday’s $100,000 Robert Frankel Stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita, giving jockey Corey Nakatani his first stakes win in 13 months.
Nakatani, 46, did not ride for eight months, from mid-April until last week. In the spring, he battled pneumonia and later cared for his wife Lisa, who was being treated for cancer. Nakatani resumed exercising horses earlier this month after, he said, his wife’s condition improved.
Goodyearforroses ($7.60) beat three rivals without difficulty in the Frankel Stakes, which was scheduled for turf and switched to the main track because of morning rain. Goodyearforroses was near the front early. She rallied three wide on the backstretch to take the lead and won by 5 1/4 lengths over 7-2 Pretty Girl.
The Frankel Stakes was the California debut for Goodyearforroses, who joined trainer Richard Baltas’s stable in November.
“She was traveling so well,” Nakatani said. “We decided that whatever came easily, not to take it away from her.”
Goodyearforroses ran 1 1/8 miles on a sloppy track in 1:51.43. Frenzified finished third, followed by Keri Belle, the 7-5 favorite.
The field was spread out at the finish. Frenzified finished 12 1/2 lengths behind Goodyearforroses, and was more than 15 lengths clear of Keri Belle.
Goodyearforroses is owned by Abbondanza Racing, a partnership led by Del Mar attorney Bing Bush Jr. The filly was purchased for $200,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale by David Meah, an assistant for Baltas.
Goodyearforroses was previously trained by Roger Attfield. A 4-year-old Irish-bred filly by Azamour, Goodyearforroses won the Flaming Page Stakes at Woodbine in August, a race at 1 1/2 miles that was originally scheduled for turf, but was transferred to the synthetic track.
Goodyearforroses has won 5 of 13 starts and has earned $199,195. She was Nakatani’s first stakes win since Chiropractor, won the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar in November 2015.
