Santa Anita: Pontchatrain makes Buena Vista her fourth straight stakes win

ARCADIA, Calif. - Pontchatrain was racing in third on the backstretch of Monday’s $201,250 Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita when trainer Tom Proctor’s expectations began to soar.

“I thought, If we don’t win from there, we don’t deserve to win,” he said.

Pontchatrain won from there, scoring her fourth consecutive stakes win for owner Glen Hill Farm.

Ridden by Gary Stevens, Pontchatrain benefited from an ideal trip to win the Grade 2 Buena Vista over a mile on turf by a length over Egg Drop. Tapicat, a stakes winner at Gulfstream Park last month, finished third in her first appearance in California, a head behind Egg Drop.

Pontchatrain ($7) was the second choice. She was timed in 1:33.33.

Pacesetter Miss Serendipity finished fourth, followed by Stormy Lucy, Moone’s My Name, Dancingtothestars, Unusual Hottie, Customer Base, and Appealing.

Miss Serendipity, a Group 1 winner in Argentina in 2013, set fractions of 23.47 and 46.95 seconds, leading narrowly over Egg Drop. Pontchatrain was a length behind Egg Drop for the first half-mile, and moved closer to the leaders on the turn.

Stevens guided Pontchatrain three-wide entering the stretch and had a half-length advantage on Egg Drop with a furlong remaining.

“She relaxed for me and we just brought it home,” Stevens said.

Pontchatrain’s win was the sixth stakes of the meeting for Stevens, leaving him tied at the top of that category with leading rider Rafael Bejarano and Mike Smith.

The Buena Vista loss ended a three-race winning streak in graded stakes for Egg Drop, who was sent off as the 2-1 favorite. Egg Drop had not raced since winning the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Hollywood Park on Dec. 1.

“She got outrun,” trainer Mike Mitchell said. “It was a good horse race. Anytime I’m running against Proctor, I’ve got to take a second look.”

In defeat, Egg Drop earned the respect of Proctor.

“Egg Drop was coming off a hard race and a layoff,” Proctor said. “She’s a good filly and don’t take anything away from her.”

Pontchatrain, a 4-year-old filly by War Front, has won 6 of 8 starts and earned $444,882. Her current winning streak includes three sprint stakes on the hillside turf course – the minor Unzip Me Stakes in September, the Grade 3 Sen. Ken Maddy Stakes in November, and the Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes here on Jan. 5. Stevens has been aboard for all four of those stakes wins.