Gotta Have Her overcomes slow pace in Royal Heroine

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The father sang the national anthem before the races. The son won the first stakes of the afternoon. For Earl Baze, and his son, Tyler, Saturday was a memorable afternoon at Hollywood Park.

Tyler Baze guided Gotta Have Her ($4.20) to a come-from-behind win in the $150,000 for older fillies and mares. It was the 6-year-old mare's fifth stakes and Baze has been aboard for four of those victories.

Even when Gotta Have Her was last after a slow half-mile in 48.03 seconds, Baze was unfazed. He guided Gotta Have her four-wide on the turn. She took the lead in the final furlong and held off pacesetter Burg Berg to win by a half-length. Gotta Have Her ran a mile on turf in 1:34.98.

"She's the kind of filly I will ride with confidence," Baze said.

Burg Berg finished a length in front of U R All That I Am in the field of six.

Gotta Have Her, who races for Green Lantern Stables, won for the first time in three starts this year. Trained by Jenine Sahadi, Gotta Have Her was third in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Handicap at Santa Anita in April and sixth in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes here in May, losing to Tuscan Evening by 3 3/4 lengths.

By Royal Academy, Gotta Have Her has won 9 of 27 starts and $972,608

Sahadi said Gotta Have Her will be pointed for two stakes at Del Mar later this summer -- the $250,000 John Mabee Stakes on Aug. 15 and the $150,000 Palomar Handicap on Sept. 6, a race she won last year.