Miss Sunset holds off Radish in Campanille
Miss Sunset showed her gameness while scoring a wire-to-wire victory in the $100,225 Campanile Stakes on Sunday at Golden Gate Fields.
A homebred daughter of Into Mischief, Miss Sunset had previously won the Generous Portion as a 2-year-old and the Sweet Life this year, but her victory Sunday in the one-mile turf stakes for California-breds may have been her sweetest win yet.
She was coming off a third in the Evening Jewel when she was nipped at the line by Radish, who was unable to beat her Sunday.
As expected, Miss Sunset ($3.20) made the lead and was able to set comfortable fractions under Juan Hernandez.
She picked up the pace after going a 49.60-second half-mile and was challenged at the quarter pole by Radish, who ran second all the way. The two ran in tandem through the stretch, and Radish may have stuck her nose in front at some point.
But Miss Sunset was not to be denied, digging in and inching away at the finish to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:39.20. Radish, still a maiden although stakes-placed in her past two starts, was one length in front of Lucky Christiana.
“The plan was I had the speed horse, and they sent me,” said Hernandez, who guided Alert Bay to victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 San Francisco Mile.
“I thought [Lucky Christiana] was going to be with me, but I was along on the front, and it was a slow pace so it was really nice.”
Winning trainer Jeff Bonde said Hernandez did a wonderful job with Miss Sunset.
“She is a Type A girl that you’ve got to get to relax early or she will cut and run on you,” he said. “She rated very well. She still jumped at the half-mile pole.”
Phil Lebherz, who owns and bred Miss Sunset with Alan Klein, echoed Bonde.
“We are pretty excited, but we really believe the jockey ran a great race this time. She went 24 and 48 and then had plenty left.”
Miss Sunset has now won four of seven starts. She earned $60,000 for Sunday’s victory and has career earnings of $265,930.