Princesinha Julia starts four-bagger for Asmussen-Santana combo in Trapeze Stakes

Princesinha Julia started a trend of stakes winners for the trainer-jockey team of Steve Asmussen and Ricardo Santana Jr. on Sunday, when she captured the $100,000 Trapeze by a head over stablemate Caribbean Sea.

The race was the first of six stakes on the meet’s closing card, and Asmussen and Santana teamed to win three of them, including the featured $400,000 Springboard Mile with Shoplifted. The men also took down the $100,000 She’s All In with 19-1 shot Magical.

Princesinha Julia ($5.40) was the favorite in the Trapeze on the strength of back-to-back wins at the race’s mile distance this meet at Remington. She settled off the pace set by Spanx Legacy, who took the field through an opening quarter in 23.23 seconds and a half-mile in 47.39. Princesinha Julia closed steadily in the stretch for a half-length win, while covering the mile on a fast track in 1:40.73.

“She responded really well,” Santana told publicity at Remington.

Princesinha Julia is a daughter of Pioneerof the Nile and the multiple Grade 1-winning mare Love and Pride, and she races for her breeder, Three Chimneys Farm. She has now won 3 of 5 starts, and the first-place check of $60,000 on Sunday pushed her earnings to $103,553.

Princesinha Julia is undefeated at two turns, winning her maiden at the configuration Oct. 10 in a maiden special weight at Remington and then taking a first-level allowance route at the track Nov. 21.

One race after the Trapeze, Magical ($40.60) moved past stablemate Blue Moonrise in the late stages for a two-length win over that one in the She’s All In. The winner covered the mile and 70 yards in 1:43.01.

Magical is a daughter of Tapit and the Grade 2-winning mare Magical Feeling who races for Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds. She was adding blinkers off a seventh-place finish in the $100,000 Treasure Chest in November at Delta Downs.

Magical gave Asmussen his 1,050th training win at Remington, making him the all-time leader in that category at the track. The win eclipsed the mark of 1,049 established by Donnie Von Hemel, who trained the millionaire She’s All In.

In other stakes action, Sleepy Eyes Todd ($7.40) fought off Chris and Dave to defeat older rivals in the $100,000 Jeffrey Hawk Memorial. It was another 6 3/4 lengths back in third to Shotgun Kowboy.

Sleepy Eyes Todd came into the race off a runner-up finish in the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby. He was content to settle off the pace set by Popularity, moved to the fore in the stretch, and battled on to the wire to cover the mile and 70 yards in 1:41.14.

“What a fighter,” winning rider Ry Eikleberry said on the simulcast from Remington. “He’s a real professional horse.”

Miguel Silva trains Sleepy Eyes Todd for David Cobb. The win was the first in a stakes for the son of Paddy O’Prado.

* Lady Orchid ($4.20) improved her career record to 4 for 5 when she was up for a neck win in the $70,000 Useeit, a mile race for 3-year-old fillies bred in Oklahoma. The winner covered the mile in 1:39.96. Ramon Vazquez was aboard the daughter of Oratory for Lori Bravo and trainer Francisco Bravo.

* Cowboy Mischief ($12) powered to 1 3/4-length win over Fast Breakin Cash in the $70,000 Jim Thorpe for 3-year-olds bred in Oklahoma. The winner covered the mile in 1:38.30. Richard Eramia was aboard the son of Into Mischief for Kelly Thiesing and trainer Kenneth Nolen.

* Remington set an all-time record for live handle Sunday, with $3,365,368 bet on its 13-race card from all sources, according to track spokesman Dale Day. The previous record of $3,086,572 was set Sept. 29, which featured the Oklahoma Derby on another 13-race card held on a Sunday.

* The all-stakes 50-cent pick four that ran on races 10-13 returned $184.10. It had a minimum guaranteed pool of $100,000 and the final pool was $257,325.

* Trainer Randy Morse won his 1,000th Thoroughbred race in North America in Sunday’s second race at Remington, with Collection ($28).