Mrs. Astor makes backers sweat before winning Possibly Perfect late
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ARCADIA, Calif. – Mrs. Astor gave favorite backers a few hectic moments before she reached the front in the nick of time in Saturday’s $100,500 Possibly Perfect Stakes at Santa Anita.
Closing from third on the turn, Mrs. Astor ($2.80) was fully extended to win by a nose over a fast-closing Mahina, an 18-1 chance. Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Mrs. Astor ran 1 1/4 miles on turf in 2:00.69 in the distance test for fillies and mares. Mrs. Astor earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 88.
“For how big she is and how the race played, she did enough to win the race,” Rispoli said.
Mrs. Astor, the subject of $100,000 in win bets at the first flash of odds, was fourth for the first six furlongs, tracking 5-2 Kentucky Gal through a slow pace of 24.35 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.29 for a half-mile.
With a wide move, Mrs. Astor was third and within 1 1/2 lengths of the front with a quarter-mile remaining. Mrs. Astor remained wide through the stretch, while Mahina, who was ridden by Hector Berrios, rallied on the inside in the final furlong.
Starry Heavens (7-1), who stalked Kentucky Gal early, finished third, beaten a nose and a neck. Kentucky Gal finished fourth, followed by Paris Secret and Queen Leca. Of the $218,323 bet to win, $129,236 was on Mrs. Astor.
Mrs. Astor, a 5-year-old mare by Lookin at Lucky, races for George Strawbridge Jr.’s Augustin Stable and trainer Jonathan Thomas. The Possibly Perfect was her fourth stakes win in her last five starts.
In the final months of 2024, Mrs. Astor won consecutive Grade 3 turf races in the Red Carpet Stakes at 1 3/8 miles at Del Mar and the Robert Frankel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita. After finishing second in the Grade 3 Santa Ana Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita on March 15 in her first start this year, Mrs. Astor won the Santa Barbara Stakes at 1 1/2 miles by five lengths at Santa Anita on May 4.
In her career, Mrs. Astor has won 6 of 19 starts and earned $495,235.
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