New surface no problem for Elm Drive in Mizdirection Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - A new surface was no issue for Elm Drive in Saturday’s $101,000 Mizdirection Stakes for fillies and mares on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita, only a chance for the filly to add to her accomplished resume.

A stakes winner as a 2-year-old in 2021, at 3 last year and again last month, Elm Drive had an ideal trip under jockey Ramon Vazquez in the Mizdirection.

After a sharp start, Elm Drive ($13.40) stalked pacesetter Freedom Flyer to the crossing onto the main turf course. Elm Drive took the lead in early stretch and won by 1 1/4 lengths over 8-1 Honey Pants.

The first two finishers are trained by Phil D’Amato.

Elm Drive ran about 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:13.23 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 93.

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“She showed up,” Vazquez said.

Vazquez said Elm Drive was comfortable stalking Freedom Flyer through early fractions of 22.88 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.37 for a half-mile, a relatively slow pace on the hillside. As she took the lead, Elm Drive repelled challenges from 11-10 favorite Big Summer and Honey Pants.

“My filly kept going,” Vazquez said. “She fought. She responded a little bit more.”

Big Summer was second in the stretch and faded to finish third, 2 1/2 lengths behind Elm Drive. Very Scary, Una Chiquitita, Canoodling and Freedom Flyer completed the order of finish.

Lady Jae was withdrawn on Saturday morning by trainer Librado Boracio. One Silk Stocking was scratched when the field reached the gate on veterinary advice.

Elm Drive is owned by Little Red Feather Racing, who won the Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico on Saturday with the D’Amato-trained Beer Can Man.

Elm Drive, a 4-year-old filly by Mohaymen, has won 5 of 10 starts and earned $408,140. She had won three stakes before the Mizdirection – the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar in 2021, the Angels Flight Stakes at Santa Anita last May, and the Grade 3 Monrovia Stakes at Santa Anita on April 8 in her first start of the year.

The Monrovia was scheduled for turf but transferred to the main track after track officials and jockeys were unsatisfied with the footing on the turf course on the weekend of April 8-9.

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