Juvenile Turf Sprint: Richies Party Girl beats the boys; $6.4 million in pick-five pool

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Wesley Ward is never afraid to run his 2-year-old fillies against male rivals, a strategy that paid off again when Richies Party Girl dominated the $100,000 Juvenile Turf Sprint Stakes, the first of 12 races on the Saturday Breeders’ Cup program at Santa Anita.

With Victor Espinoza sending her straight to the front in the 6 1/2-furlong “down the hill” race, Richies Party Girl turned away a bid from Toowindytohaulrox in the upper stretch before going on to prevail comfortably. Dothraki finished third and favored Love In The Desert was fourth in the field of nine.

Richies Party Girl, owned by Ward and Richard Ravin, returned $15.60 after finishing in 1:12.36 over a firm course. Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, the daughter of Any Given Saturday was coming off a last-place finish in the Grade 3 Jessamine on the Keeneland turf.

The opener kicked off a 50-cent pick five wager that began the day with a carryover of more than $890,000. New money bet into the pool was more than $6.4 million.

The $2 exacta (2-9) paid $53.20; the $1 trifecta (2-9-7) returned $151.60; and the 10-cent superfecta (2-9-7-8) was worth $43.38.