Santa Anita: Teddy's Promise keeps improving in La Brea; Turbulent Descent sixth

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Ron Ellis saved the best for the last day of the year, sending out Teddy’s Promise to a decisive victory in the Grade 1, $300,000 La Brea Stakes, a race in which Turbulent Descent was a dull sixth of nine as the 1-2 favorite.

Teddy’s Promise ($35), just 6-1 on the morning line, floated up because of the inordinate action on Turbulent Descent, who not only was a short price in the win pool, but had heavy action in the show pool that led to outsized prices on the first three finishers.

Teddy’s Promise, who got an ideal trip from the outside post in the seven-furlong race, won by a comfortable 2 1/4 lengths under Victor Espinoza while covering the distance on the fast main track in 1:20.47. Sugarinthemorning, also at 16-1, ran on for second, 1 3/4 lengths in front of Great Hot, who went off at 8-1.

The show prices on the first three finishers, in order, were $21.20, $25.80, and $11.40.

Teddy’s Promise was winning for the third straight time, following allowance victories at Santa Anita’s fall meeting and at Hollywood Park. The La Brea, exclusively for 3-year-old fillies, was her fifth start since Ted and Judy Nichols, who bred and own Teddy’s Promise, moved her to Ellis.

“She was doing great,” said Ellis, who said the outside post was important because “she’s lightly raced, mentally.”

“I really put the coals to her,” said Ellis, who worked Teddy’s Promise four times in 19 days leading up to the La Brea, “but she took it.”

Teddy’s Promise, a daughter of Salt Lake, was bred in California. She has now won 5 times in 13 starts.

Turbulent Descent, starting from post 2, was off slowly and was last early in the race, ranged up four paths wide on the turn, but flattened out. It was the second straight race in which she finished out of the money. She was fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

“She still didn’t kick it in and the track’s very fast, so it’s hard to make up that ground once you’re in that position,” said Mike Puype, who trains Turbulent Descent. “She didn’t kick it in like she’s capable of, so I’ll just have to go over her well physically and see where we’re at.”

Chips All In upsets Eddie Logan

One race earlier, Chips All In made a successful transition to both turf and two turns when scoring an 11-1 upset in the $81,700 Eddie Logan Stakes for 2-year-olds.

Chips All In ($25.20) pressed the pace in second for the first three-quarters of a mile, surged to the front at the top of the stretch of the one-mile grass race, and safely held off Sheer Talent to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:34.86 on the firm course. Stoney Fleece was third. Daddy Nose Best, the 4-5 favorite, was fifth in the field of eight after a wide trip. Alonso Quinonez rode Chips All In for trainer Jeff Mullins.