Marckie's Water flies late to take Charles Whittingham Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Marckie’s Water and jockey Tiago Pereira are becoming quite the successful partnership at Santa Anita this spring.

Pereira rode Marckie’s Water to a win in an allowance race with an $80,000 claiming option on April 28, the first time he rode the 5-year-old horse. Saturday, in a much more important setting, Marckie’s Water won his first graded stakes in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf.

Pereira rode a patient race. He kept Marckie’s Water in sixth for the first mile and was last in a field of seven with a furlong remaining. Marckie’s Water ($6.80) quickened impressively in the final sixteenth to win the $200,702 Whittingham Stakes by three-quarters of a length over 7-2 United.

Pereira said the key to winning was keeping Marckie’s Water settled in the first half of the race.

“I put him behind another horse and he was more relaxed,” Pereira said. “In the stretch, I went outside and he improved. He flew home.”

Marckie’s Water was timed in 2:00.95 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 94, which equaled his career-best.

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United, a 4-year-old gelding trained by Richard Mandella, has his stakes debut in the Whittingham Stakes. There was a brief worry early in the race when United clipped heels, but he recovered quickly and was fifth until the final quarter-mile.

“It scared the hell out of me,” trainer Richard Mandella said of the incident. “He ran nice though. He’s becoming a pro now.”

Ashleyluvssugar, who won the Whittingham Stakes in 2015 and 2017, finished third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths. Prime Attraction, the 8-5 favorite, finished fourth, followed by Morse Code, Ya Gotta Wanna, and Tizzarunner.

Marckie’s Water, a California-bred by Tribal Rule, has won 6 of 18 starts and earned $466,682 for owners Norman Tavares and the Little Red Feather Racing partnership and trainer Richard Baltas.

Marckie’s Water won the Snow Chief Stakes for California-bred 3-year-olds on turf in 2017. In two previous starts in graded stakes, Marckie’s Water was fourth in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar last November and third in the Grade 2 San Luis Rey Stakes here on March 29. Mario Gutierrez rode Marckie’s Water in those races.