Prize Exhibit wins first stakes in Senorita

ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Santiago Gonzalez, a native of Venezuela with more than 2,000 career wins, is quick to admit he has a poor grasp of English. His win aboard Prize Exhibit in Saturday’s $101,000 Senorita Stakes at Santa Anita gave Gonzalez a reason to express himself – in two languages.

“At the three-eighths pole, vamanos,” he said, using Spanish to describe the filly’s ability to move. “Mucho strong.”

Prize Exhibit ($21.80) gave Gonzalez, 31, his first stakes win in California and second graded stakes win in the U.S. in the Grade 3 Senorita for 3-year-old fillies. Prize Exhibit closed from last in a field of nine to reach the front in the final sixteenth, winning the one-mile turf race by 2 1/4 lengths over the 7-1 Long Hot Summer, who set the pace.

Lutine Belle, a 13-1 outsider, finished third, followed by Rattataptap, Screaming Skylar, Avenge, Miss Double d’Oro, Mio Me, and Curlin’s Fox.

Curlin’s Fox was the 4-5 favorite. Ridden by Mike Smith, she was well placed with a quarter-mile remaining but faded in the final furlong.

“She’s been disappointing going two turns,” Smith said. “In her defense, she has bled in the past. She should be able to do [a mile]."

Prize Exhibit won her first stakes in the Senorita Stakes. Trained by Jim Cassidy, Prize Exhibit was fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita in her American debut last October. She won an optional claimer here in January in her first start of 2015.

Owned by Deron Pearson, Prize Exhibit lost three consecutive stakes earlier this year, including a fourth in the Grade 2 Honeymoon Stakes here May 3 and a fifth in the Pennsylvania Oaks at Penn National on May 30.

For the Senorita, Cassidy hoped Gonzalez would have Prize Exhibit close to the front in a stalking position. Gonzalez had Prize Exhibit in last place until the final turn.

“He doesn’t understand English, and I don’t understand Spanish, so we get along well,” Cassidy said. “He’s a strong rider.”

Prize Exhibit began her career in England, where she finished third in the Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket in her final start before being sent to the U.S. By the Oasis Dream stallion Showcasing, Prize Exhibit has won 4 of 14 starts and earned $212,050.