Ideal trip enables Amnesia to win Wine Country

SANTA ROSA, Calif. – Jockey Abel Cedillo wasn’t able to follow trainer Neil Drysdale’s instructions but wound up getting a perfect trip as Irish-bred Amnesia won the $53,565 Wine Country Stakes at the Sonoma County Fair on Saturday.

It was the first stakes victory and first win in four U.S. starts for Amnesia.

Drysdale told Monty Meier, who saddled the filly for him, that he “thought at worst she would be laying second or third on the first turn.”

Drysdale said to tell Cedillo “after you get to the backside, get her outside and in the clear.”

Instead, Cedillo found himself and his mount fifth early as Finding Forestry and French Tart set the early pace.

And Cedillo found himself tucked inside Free Money and saving ground on the inside.

Plan B worked to perfection as Cedillo got a good stalking trip on Amnesia and then moved up inside French Tart on the second turn as French Tart drifted out a bit.

Amnesia ($8.80) opened a two-length lead in the stretch and held off fast-finishing Time and Tides and Free Money for the victory as the ground saved made the difference.

“We got lucky, but this is a nice filly,” said Cedillo.

Meier, a former jockey, said he wasn’t concerned even though Cedillo wasn’t where he was expected to be down the backstretch.

“He was sitting in a pretty good spot, and he wasn’t fighting her,” said Meier. “He did a great job.”

Amnesia, who raced five times as a 2-year-old in Britain, more than doubled her career earning with her $32,600 paycheck for owner Alice Bamford. She has earned $52,667 with 2 wins in 9 starts after running third, fourth, and fifth in her first three U.S. starts at Santa Anita.