Santa Anita: Vamo a Galupiar completes stakes sweep for Drysdale in Santa Ana
ARCADIA, Calif. - A month later than hoped, Vamo a Galupiar proved she is capable of a graded stakes win in this country in Sunday’s $150,000 Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita.
A Group 1 winner in Chile in 2010, Vamo a Galupiar ($17.20) rallied wide through the stretch to win the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes by a half-length over 11-1 Wild Mia. Ridden by Mike Smith, Vamo a Galupiar ran 1 1/8 miles on a good turf course in 1:48.89. The race was run during a driving rainstorm.
Vamo a Galupiar gave trainer Neil Drysdale a sweep of the day’s two turf stakes. Earlier on the program, the Drysdale-trained veteran Bourbon Bay won the San Luis Rey Stakes.
Owned by Robert Evans, Vamo a Galupiar won her second stakes of the year in the Santa Ana Stakes. She won the minor Megahertz Stakes in January, but was a troubled sixth in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Handicap over a mile on turf here on Feb. 20, stuck in traffic at a pivotal time in the stretch.
“I thought she was best in the Buena Vista,” Drysdale said.
Smith, winning the 4,997th race of his Hall of Fame career, had Vamo a Galupiar wide for much of the Santa Ana despite breaking from the rail.
A 5-year-old mare by Proud Citizen, Vamo a Galupiar was three-wide on the turn, and five-wide through the stretch before taking the lead late.
“She was really running away at the end,” Drysdale said. “She likes the soft ground.”
Wild Mia finished a nose in front of 67-1 Hard Seven, the longest shot in the field of 10. Camelia Rose, the 8-5 favorite, led by a length in the stretch, but faded to finish fifth, losing by a little more than 1 1/4 lengths.
The race drew a strong field. City to City, the winner of the Buena Vista, finished fourth. Cambina, the winner of the Grade 1 American Oaks last summer, finished sixth.
Vamo a Galupiar has won 5 of 8 starts and $191,512. She has won four stakes in her career, and is expected to try for a fifth in the $150,000 Santa Barbara Handicap over 1 1/4 miles on turf on April 21.