Santa Anita: Lady of Shamrock promoted to first in Santa Barbara

ARCADIA, Calif. - Lady of Shamrock won Saturday’s $150,000 Santa Barbara Handicap at Santa Anita in the stewards' room.

After finishing second by 1 1/2 lengths to pacesetter Viva Carina, Lady of Shamrock was put up to first when the stewards reversed the order of finish, ruling that Viva Carina drifted to the inside in the final furlong and interfered with Lady of Shamrock.

Viva Carina was an 8-1 shot; Lady of Shamrock was favored and paid $2.60. Viva Carina ran 1 1/4 miles on turf in 2:00.91.

Lady of Shamrock, the winner of two Grade 1 stakes for 3-year-old fillies last year, was last in the field of five for the first six furlongs. She was well behind Viva Carina, who set a slow pace of 49.98 seconds for the half-mile and 1:14.41 for six furlongs.

Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Lady of Shamrock closed along the rail to reach contention in the stretch. She was within a length of Viva Carina with a furlong remaining when the leader drifted to the inside under right-handed urging from jockey Victor Espinoza. Lady of Shamrock took up, but was able to salvage second, finishing a length in front of Caelis. The Only Key and Double Ante completed the order of finish.

The stewards reviewed video for five minutes before announcing the disqualification.

“He had her rolling and it looked like she would have gotten there,” winning trainer John Sadler said of Lady of Shamrock.

A filly by Scat Daddy, Lady of Shamrock has been second under the wire in her first two starts of this year. She was runner-up to Tiz Fliratious in the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes here in March.

Owned by Kosta Hronis, Lady of Shamrock is a six-time stakes winner who has won 7 of 13 starts and $825,400.

Sadler said that Lady of Shamrock will be pointed for the $250,000 Gamely Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on turf at Betfair Hollywood Park on May 27.