Lady Pamela looks to parlay regal pedigree into solid career
ARCADIA, Calif. – The elite pedigree of siblings Lady Pamela and Lifeline only implied potential. It was up to the filly and colt – sired by Tapit and produced by Breeders’ Cup winner Life Is Sweet – to deliver. Early results are positive.
Days after a strong third-place debut by Lifeline in a maiden race for 3-year-olds, the lightly raced Lady Pamela resumes her class ascent Friday at Santa Anita. The 4-year-old Lady Pamela seeks her second career victory going 1 1/4 miles on turf in a first-level optional $40,000 claimer for fillies and mares.
Cliff Sise trains Lady Pamela; Richard Mandella trains Lifeline. The filly and colt, both gray, are owned by breeders Pam and Marty Wygod, who also bred the dam, 2009 BC Ladies’ Classic winner Life Is Sweet (six wins, four graded stakes, $1.8 million).
As a broodmare, Life Is Sweet’s first two foals fell short. Disintermediate, a colt by Smart Strike, did not start. Sweet Promises, a filly by Bernardini, went 0 for 6 and was retired. Life Is Sweet’s next two foals were the Tapit siblings, whose careers are just getting started.
Lady Pamela lost twice, finishing fifth and second on dirt, and then switched to grass for an Oct. 27 maiden race at Santa Anita. She won the 1 1/8-mile race going away. Big win, big pedigree. She was on her way up the ladder until a minor hiccup.
Lady Pamela was the program favorite for what would have been her fourth start Dec. 4 at Del Mar. She scratched due to colic.
“It was serious but worked out real quick,” Sise said.
Surgery was not required, and two weeks later, Lady Pamela resumed workouts to prepare for a Jan. 14 comeback at Santa Anita. The off-the-turf allowance was her first start in 2 1/2 months, and it showed. Favored at even-money, Lady Pamela finished second by more than four lengths.
“She really needed that race; she came back blowing,” Sise said. “Now she’s fit.”
Lady Pamela will race 1 1/4 miles for the first time Friday.
“I love it,” Sise said of the distance. “She’ll run all day.”
As for Lady Pamela’s sibling, the impressive third-place debut by Lifeline in a turf route Monday puts him on a shortlist of promising 3-year-old prospects in California. Lifeline was rank early, settled, finished with run, and galloped out strongly past the wire.
“I was very impressed,” Mandella said. “Obviously, with his breeding, he’s a very exciting horse.”
Mandella said one reason Lifeline began his career on grass was because of Lady Pamela.
“I wanted to go long on the grass because I thought his sister improved on the grass,” Mandella said. “He trained okay on the dirt, he just didn’t sparkle like a dirt horse.”
Mandella said Lifeline could try dirt at some point, just not yet.
“There’s no reason he shouldn’t be able to do it, but the turf worked out pretty well the first time, so we’ll go back and try that again.”
While the maiden Lifeline waits until March for the second start of his career, Lady Pamela will carry the Wygod silks to likely favoritism Friday in race 5.
Race 5
KEY CONTENDERS
Lady Pamela, by Tapit
Last 3 Beyers: 77-81-77
◗ Kent Desormeaux, who was working Lady Pamela prior to her debut last summer at Del Mar, remains her only rider. Desormeaux was Life Is Sweet’s rider early in her career.
◗ Before she became a synthetic-surface specialist, Life Is Sweet was a turf specialist with two wins and two runner-up stakes finishes on turf.
◗ Lady Pamela is named for Pam Wygod.
Radiantly, by Aussie Rules
First North American start
◗ Graham Motion trains Radiantly, who won 1 of 10 in Europe while facing top company. Radiantly raced in six group-level races; she placed in a Group 3.
Formulator Fact: Motion is 24 for 88 with foreign shippers making their U.S. debut (1 for 3 in Southern California) over the past five years. With shippers adding Lasix, such as Radiantly, Motion is 22 for 65. Brice Blanc rides.
Shazara, by El Corredor
Last 3 Beyers: 74-70-74
◗ John Shirreffs trains Shazara, who will be ridden by Victor Espinoza. Shirreffs trained Life Is Sweet.