Selcourt impresses in winning Kalookan Queen

ARCADIA, Calif. – Selcourt took control of Sunday’s $82,935 Kalookan Queen Stakes at Santa Anita shortly after the start and cruised to an easy win in her first start since May.

Ridden by Tyler Baze, Selcourt ($8.40) set the pace and repelled a brief challenge by 7-5 favorite Princess Karen before pulling clear to win by 7 1/2 lengths. Selcourt ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.88.

“I gave her a little breather on the turn and let her run,” Baze said.

Cuddle Alert, a stakes winner against California-breds last February, closed from sixth to finish second at 9-1. Cuyathy, who was third early, held third in her stakes debut.

Princess Karen faded to fourth, followed by Malibu Stacy, Mother of Dragons, Dis Smart Cat, and Reverse. Princess Karen was fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 4 and sixth in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies here on Dec. 26.

The Kalookan Queen was restricted to fillies and mares and was Selcourt’s first start after she was rested because of a minor injury last spring, trainer John Sadler said.

Breaking from the rail on Sunday, Selcourt set a solid pace of 21.77 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.28 for a half-mile.

“I was a little nervous going in because we drew the inside,” Sadler said. “We had to let her roll, and she handled it in good form.”

Owned by breeder Keith Abraham in partnership with Medallion Racing and Sandra Lazaruk, Selcourt has won 2 of 4 starts and earned $103,920. After winning a maiden race at six furlongs by 9 1/4 lengths here in her debut last February, Selcourt was second in the Santa Paula Stakes in April and third in the Angels Flight Stakes in May.

A 4-year-old filly by Tiz Wonderful, Selcourt could start in longer races this year.

“I wanted to win a stakes and then a [graded] stakes,” Sadler said. “This is a nice step.”