How About Zero prevails in Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint

ARCADIA, Calif. – How About Zero may have seen the last of dirt races for a while.

On Saturday at Santa Anita, How About Zero ($6.40) won the $151,035 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint for California-breds to remain unbeaten in two starts on the track’s unique hillside turf course.

Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, How About Zero stalked the pace until the field crossed onto the main turf course and lengthened her advantage in the final furlong to prevail by 2 1/4 lengths over 7-2 Barbara Beatrice, a stakes winner on the hillside turf course in October.

Miss Sunset, the winner of the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland in October, set the pace and faded to third, beaten a nose by Barbara Beatrice.

How About Zero was timed in 1:13.10 for about 6 1/2 furlongs.

“I had a perfect trip,” Gutierrez said. “She’s a really good filly. I still feel she can run a mile or a mile and a sixteenth, too.”

Miss Sunset set a relatively modest pace of 22.13 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.55 for a half-mile. She lost the lead to How About Zero, who closed from fourth on the hillside. Barbara Beatrice showed an imposing kick in the stretch but could not challenge the winner.

“The pace was a little slow,” said Phil D’Amato, who trains Barbara Beatrice. “The other horse ran a big race.”

How Unusual finished fourth, followed by Cuddle Alert, Run for Retts, Late ‘n Left, and Starlite Style.

How About Zero, a 4-year-old filly by Square Eddie, races for owners and breeders Paul and Zillah Reddam. Trained by Doug O’Neill, How About Zero won the Golden State Juvenile Fillies on dirt in November 2016 for her first win in her third start.

Last January, How About Zero was second in the $200,000 California Cup Oaks for 3-year-old statebred fillies on turf. How About Zero did not start from March until October last year and has been in excellent form in recent months.

How About Zero won an allowance race for California-bred fillies and mares on the hillside turf course in her comeback in October and was fourth in the Betty Grable Stakes on dirt at Del Mar in November.

How About Zero was a game second in an allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option against open company at a mile on turf Jan. 1 in what turned out to be a prep race for Saturday’s win. She has won 3 of 12 starts and earned $343,950.