Sagebrush Queen wins Desert Stormer on short rest

ARCADIA, Calif. – Sagebrush Queen made a relatively quick turnaround after a two-week break and benefited from a bad trip for heavy favorite My Sweet Addiction to score an upset win in Sunday’s $94,100 Desert Stormer Stakes for female sprinters at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Edwin Maldonado, Sagebrush Queen ($34.40) stayed on the rail for much of the six-furlong race and won by a length over Clearly Confused as the longest shot in a field of five.

My Sweet Addiction, who held an early lead, drifted out on the turn, carrying contender Doinghardtimeagain into the middle of the track. At the same time, Sagebrush Queen took the lead on the rail and led by 3 1/2 lengths with a furlong remaining. She held off a late run from 6-1 Clearly Confused to win by a length, finishing in 1:09.75.

My Sweet Addiction salvaged third, clear of Warren’s Veneda and Doinhardtimeagain in the small field.

Sagebrush Queen, a 4-year-old California-bred filly by Unbridled Energy, races for Larry Konecne and Sandi Mattei and trainer Jorge Gutierrez. She was making her stakes debut in the Desert Stormer, having won an optional claimer against open company May 30.

“My concern was coming back too soon,” Gutierrez said. “It was set up with horses coming off long layoffs. I thought I could track the pace and make a run. When that horse blew the turn, that put us in the sweet spot. She ran a game race.”

Sagebrush Queen has won 4 of 9 starts and earned $189,770. She has won three of her last four starts, a span of wins disrupted by a last-place finish in a field of seven in an allowance race over 1 1/16 miles April 19.

Gutierrez said that Sagebrush Queen will be considered for the $200,000 Great Lady M. Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs July 12 at Los Alamitos. The Great Lady M. Stakes was previously run at Hollywood Park as the A Gleam Stakes. Hollywood Park closed for development last December.