Hasta La Vista stakes brings meet to an end
?q=100)
PHOENIX – The $60,000 Hasta La Vista plays its customary role Saturday as the last race of the Turf Paradise meet. The 1 7/8-mile turf event for 3-year-olds and upward drew a field of 11. It features a rematch of the top four finishers from the April 15 Wildcat Stakes here, the traditional prep for this in which the top three were separated by just a neck.
Also on the program is the $60,000 Turf Paradise Open Spring Futurity. The five-furlong dash for 2-year-olds has a field of 10 and goes as race 8. It’s headed by dominant trial winner Its a Cheap Date.
Luvluv, Tartini, and Surprisinglyperfect all rallied in the 11-furlong Wildcat to finish on the wire together, with Luvluv prevailing by a head over Tartini, and Surprisinglyperfect just a neck behind the winner in third. No Slo Mo was just another 1 3/4 lengths behind in fourth. The main question here is who can handle Saturday’s extra half-mile as none of the 11 have gone this far.
Tartini hasn’t won since 2022, but has been knocking on the door and may have a bit more speed than his rivals, which might allow him to get a bit of a headstart on them. Luvluv was relentless in his rally to win the Wildcat, and that may bode well for handling Saturday’s extra ground. Surprisinglyperfect and No Slo Mo both rallied from far back and figure to bide their time and come running again.
◗ It’s a Cheap Date, a 2-year-old daughter of Ez Effort, won her debut here April 15 in smashing fashion by nine lengths, earning a 63 Beyer. The next best Beyers in the Open Spring Futurity field are the 35 by Sister Cousin, who ran second to It’s a Cheap Date, and the 34 by Calebs Lady, who won her trial about 20 minutes later.
◗ Despite the impending sale of Turf Paradise to a development company, reportedly to be finalized in the summer, the track expects to conduct a 2023-24 race meet. No firm dates have been set, but the Phoenix track routinely begins its meet in the fall.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.