Light Won Up, Fresu have happy comebacks in Sweet Life Stakes
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ARCADIA, Calif. - The $103,000 Sweet Life Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday was a winning comeback for Light Won Up and her jockey, Antonio Fresu.
Light Won Up started for the first time since June in the Sweet Life Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. For Fresu, Saturday’s program was his return to race riding since he sustained a toe injury on Dec. 28, the first day of the current winter-spring meeting.
Light Won Up ($14.80) was always near the front in the Sweet Life Stakes, and romped clear in the stretch to win by 2 3/4 lengths in her career debut on turf.
Light Won Up stalked pacesetter Umbralle until the field crossed from the hillside course to the main turf course. When space developed toward the inside between Umbralle and 61-1 Soaring Angel, Light Won Up closed quickly to reach the front.
“When she saw the gap on the inside, she took it,” Fresu said.
Light Won Up was timed in 1:12.85 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 80.
Umbralle (22-1) set a solid early pace of 22.27 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.53 for a half-mile. Fresu kept Light Won Up near the front after a sharp start.
“I let her run a bit in the first 100 yards and I took her back,” Fresu said.
“I think she handled the grass.”
Himika, a two-time stakes winner in sprints last year, finished second in her first start on turf. Himika was the 4-1 second choice.
Umbralle (22-1) finished third, beaten 4 1/4 lengths, and was followed by Hypergamy, Mohaven, Struck By Her, Famous Forza, Total Val, Bourbon and Ginger, La Ville Lumiere and Soaring Angel. Yours Sincerely was withdrawn after developing a temperature, trainer Phil D’Amato said.
Mohaven, a stakes winner against California-breds at Del Mar in October, was the 3-1 favorite in her first start on turf.
Light Won Up, by City of Light, won her debut in a maiden race at 4 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita last May, and was sixth of eighth in the Debutante Stakes at six furlongs at Churchill Downs last June.
Light Won Up resumed workouts in November. Fresu has been aboard for all three of Light Won Up’s races.
“She took a long time” to come back, Fresu said. “We liked her as a baby last year.”
Fresu worked Light Won Up on the infield training track last weekend in the early days of his return to racetrack activity prior to Saturday.
“I breezed her and she gave me a nice feeling,” he said.
Light Won Up was Fresu’s first win on Saturday with his fifth mount.
Light Won Up, who races for trainer Doug O’Neill and owners Janie Buss and Mark Davis, has won 2 of 3 starts and earned $98,085. She was purchased for $265,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in-training last March. The filly is out of Factorofwon, a minor stakes winner on the hillside turf course in 2018.
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