Love a Honeybadger wires off-turf California Distaff Handicap

ARCADIA, Calif. – Three races after she was claimed for $40,000, Love a Honeybadger won her first stakes in Saturday’s $101,035 California Distaff Handicap for statebred sprinters at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Tiago Pereira for trainer Peter Miller, Love a Honeybadger led throughout the five-furlong race for fillies and mares, which was scheduled for turf but switched to dirt because of overnight rain.

Love a Honeybadger ($6.80) held off a sustained threat from 2-1 favorite S Y Sky to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 56.56 seconds. She got an 88 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She’s really, really fast,” Miller said. “She's best when she can make the lead.

"He got her to the rail, got her to relax, and she kicked home.”

Love a Honeybadger set early fractions of 21.84 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.35 for a half-mile, leading by a half-length and then a length in early stretch.

Family Girl, a 10-1 outsider, finished third, followed by Meet and Greet, Late ‘n Left, Hailey Rachele, Ismelucky, and How About Zero.

Love a Honeybadger races for Rockingham Ranch. A 4-year-old filly by Bushwacker, Love a Honeybadger has won 5 of 11 starts and earned $246,225. She was claimed at Los Alamitos in June and was third and second in allowance races with $40,000 claiming options at Los Alamitos in July and at Del Mar in August.

Love a Honeybadger was second in the CTBA Stakes for 2-year-old statebred fillies at Del Mar in July 2016 and did not race again until March of this year. At the time, she was trained by Brian Koriner, who lost her via the claim in June.