Pasar Silbano wins La Habra her way

ARCADIA, Calif. - Pasar Silbano seemed to have her own strategy in mind during the early stages of Sunday's $100,000 La Habra Stakes at Santa Anita.

"I was trying to slow her down, but she was going to the lead like it was nothing," jockey Mike Smith said.

Pasar Silbano was third early, and dragged Smith to the front on the hillside portion of the course. She kept that position throughout, winning the Grade 3 La Habra Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths over 77-1 Gold Goddess. Real Fancy Runner, a 15-1 shot, finished third in the field of 11 3-year-old fillies.

Pasar Silbano ran about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course in 1:12.67.

The La Habra was Pasar Silbano's first win in the United States, preceded by a seventh in the Moccasin Stakes on the main track at Hollywood Park last November.

In Ireland last year, Pasar Silbano won 4 of 6 starts, including the listed Curragh Stakes and the $146,000 Goffs Sportsmans Challenge, a sale progeny race. The latter came against males last September at the Curragh.

Now owned by Three Chimneys Racing and trained by Jim Cassidy, Pasar Silbano has earned $251,804 in her career. Cassidy said that Pasar Silbano will be pointed for the $70,000 China Doll Atakes at a mile on turf here March 8.