Prancingthruparis rallies for first stakes win in Irish O'Brien
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ARCADIA, Calif. – On March 8, Air Force Red won the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita after jockey Armando Ayuso guided the 7-year-old between rivals in the stretch.
On Sunday, Ayuso won another stakes on the hillside turf course with Prancingthruparis. This time, Ayuso moved Prancingthruparis to the outside of rivals to win the $101,000 Irish O’Brien Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at Santa Anita from off the pace.
The Irish O’Brien Stakes was the first career stakes win for the 4-year-old Prancingthruparis, who is unbeaten in two starts this year.
Prancingthruparis ($24) closed from fifth to win by a half-length over 2-1 Pushiness, who set the pace.
“She broke really sharp,” Ayuso said of Prancingthruparis. “I knew there was a lot of speed and I took a hold.
“She did a good job. As soon as she got outside, she had that momentum.”
Prancingthruparis ran about 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:13.18 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 85.
Pushiness set a strong pace of 21.98 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.42 for a half-mile, leading by as much as a length over Shocking Grey, the 2-1 favorite. Prancingthruparis had moved into third after a half-mile and led narrowly with a furlong remaining.
Pushiness, unraced since a third-place finish as the odds-on favorite in the Betty Grable Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at Del Mar last November, finished a length in front of 7-1 Sneaker.
Moment’s Pleasure finished fourth, followed by Shocking Grey, Lamporghini, and Tam’s Little Angel.
Prancingthruparis, by Sir Prancealot, races for owners and breeders SAF Racing, Joe Ciaglia, and Harry Crusberg. Trained by Peter Eurton, Prancingthruparis has won 5 of 13 starts and earned $294,050.
Prancingthruparis appeared in the sixth stakes of her career in the Irish O’Brien. Her best previous finish in a race at that level was a second in the Generous Portion Stakes for statebred 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar in September 2023.
On Feb. 22, Prancingthruparis recorded a 38-1 upset with a front-running win in an allowance race at a mile on turf against open company.
Prancingthruparis is out of She’s a Big Winner, who won the 2015 Sweet Life Stakes on the hillside turf course against open company.
On Sept. 28, 2014, prior to a maiden race at Santa Anita, She’s Big Winner was scratched by the stewards after she unseated jockey Kent Desormeaux in the post parade and proceeded to violently kick him in the chest.
Desormeaux sustained two broken ribs and a collapsed lung and was hospitalized for two days. Desormeaux resumed riding four weeks later.
Ciaglia recalled the incident in the winner’s circle on Sunday.
Prancingthruparis’s “mom was a little bit crazy,” he said.
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