Jockey Pyfer shakes off bruises, takes Snow Chief aboard Bally's Charm

ARCADIA, Calif. - Eight days after she was kicked in the walking ring and briefly forced to the sidelines, jockey Jessica Pyfer won the first stakes of her career in Saturday’s $150,500 Snow Chief Stakes at Santa Anita aboard Bally’s Charm.

Pfyer, the 24-year-old champion apprentice jockey of 2021 who has struggled to find winners this year, guided Bally’s Charm to the lead in the opening furlong and never faced a serious challenge in the race at 1 1/8 miles on turf for 3-year-old statebreds.

“From a week of not riding to get my first stakes is a blessing,” she said walking back to the jockey’s room.

Bally’s Charm set a moderate pace of 24.11 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 49.45 for a half-mile before pulling clear to win by 5 3/4 lengths over Royal ‘n Rando, a 13-1 chance who won the Silky Sullivan Stakes for statebred 3-year-old milers on turf at Golden Gate Fields on May 1.

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Smuggler’s Run, the even-money favorite, could finish only third after racing in second on the turn. Smuggler’s Run was within 1 1/2 lengths of Bally’s Charm with more than a quarter-mile remaining, but no closer in the stretch.

“When she started to open up on the turn, I thought it would take a helluva horse to get by him,” trainer Jeff Mullins said of Pyfer’s ride on Bally’s Charm.

Bally’s Charm ($6.20) was timed in 1:50.21.

Bally’s Charm was Pyfer’s fifth win of 2022. She took off her mounts on May 21-22 to recover from an incident in which she was kicked in the walking ring moments before climbing aboard her mount.

Bally’s Charm was timed in 1:50.21 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 88.

A gelding by Roi Charmant, Bally’s Charm races for Jed and Roberta Cohen’s Red Baron’s Barn and Alan and Bonnie Cummins. Bally’s Charm has won 3 of 6 starts and earned $191,340. Pyfer has been aboard Bally’s Charm for all of his starts.

THOR’S ECHO

In his first start in more than seven months, Desmond Doss rallied wide through the stretch to win the $100,000 Thor’s Echo Stakes at six furlongs under leading rider Juan Hernandez.

Desmond Doss raced on the rail to the turn when Hernandez moved the 6-year-old horse to a three-wide position. Desmond Doss closed well to catch leader Fashionably Fast and take the lead in the final furlong. Desmond Doss ($10) finished 2 1/4 lengths in front of 5-2 Fashionably Fast.

Fashionably Fast, third in the 2021 Thor’s Echo, held second, finishing a half-length in front of even-money favorite Tigre di Slugo in a field of five.

Desmond Doss ran six furlongs in 1:09.70 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 91.

Owned and bred by Nick Alexander, Desmond Doss was given a rest after a disappointing third at 9-5 in the E.B. Johnston Stakes at Los Alamitos last September and a fifth in the California Flag Handicap on turf at Santa Anita last October.

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“He got rank at Los Al,” trainer Steve Miyadi said. “He broke bad in October. He got thin.

“I didn’t plan on giving him this long of a layoff, but that’s the way it goes.”

Desmond Doss, by Grazen, has won 6 of 18 starts and earned $361,341. The Thor’s Echo Stakes was the second career stakes win for Desmond Doss, preceded by the Bertrando Stakes for statebreds at a mile at Los Alamitos last June.

CRYSTAL WATER

Carmelita’s Man won his stakes debut with a come-from-behind rally in the day’s first stakes, the $100,000 Crystal Water Stakes at a mile on turf.

Ridden by Hernandez, Carmelita’s Man ($4.80) closed from fourth in a field of five in the final furlong to win by three-quarters of a length over 2-1 Jimmy Blue Jeans, who led in early stretch. Irish Heatwave (3-1) finished third, a head behind Jimmy Blue Jeans.

The stewards conducted an inquiry into the stretch run regarding a bumping incident between Jimmy Blue Jeans and Irish Heatwave, but did not change the order of finish.

Carmelita’s Man was timed in 1:37.26, winning for the fifth time in his 18-race career. Carmelita’s Man earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 86. The win ended a four-race losing streak since an allowance race at a mile on turf for statebreds last October.

Carmelita’s Man races for Larry and Ann Jett and trainer Dean Pederson. A 5-year-old gelding, Carmelita’s Man is most effective when allowed to settle and attempt a late rally, Pederson said.

“You can’t let the pace dictate how you ride him,” Pederson said. “If you force the pace too much, he doesn’t finish. He’s kind of a steady horse. He’s not a stop-and-go horse.”

Carmelita’s Man has earned $276,538.