She’s a Big Winner back on favorite course for Ultrafleet
ARCADIA, Calif. – She’s a Big Winner often gets things her own way.
The stakes-winning 3-year-old filly has proven to be forceful before and during races. She won the Sweet Life Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in February, racing near the lead throughout, and returns to that course for Friday’s $75,000 Ultrafleet Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
“I think the distance will be good for her,” jockey Brice Blanc said on Wednesday. “She’s very aggressive and very speedy. She has a tendency to want to do too much.”
That approach may have cost She’s a Big Winner in the China Doll Stakes at a mile on turf March 7. After displaying fractious behavior in the gate, She’s a Big Winner set the pace to the turn and faded to finish third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths by Singing Kitty.
Blanc was aboard in the Sweet Life and the China Doll as well as a win in a maiden race on the hillside turf course in January.
“The mile was a good experience,” he said. “She’s still pretty high-strung. The distance at some point will be good for her.”
She’s a Big Winner, trained by Peter Eurton for a partnership, is the only turf stakes winner in the Ultrafleet, which drew a field of six.
“She’s still very keen in the morning, like she has been,” Eurton said. “I can always go long with her down at Del Mar.”
She’s a Big Winner will be near the front, likely tracking the Washington state shipper Ethan’s Baby, who has not raced since winning the Angie C Stakes at six furlongs last July. Ethan’s Baby was sent to trainer Craig Dollase since her last race.
Other prominent runners in the race are Avenge, the sharp winner of an optional claimer on the hillside turf course April 9 for trainer Richard Mandella, and Suva Harbor, who finished first in the Island Fashion Stakes at Sunland Park in February but was disqualified and placed last of eight for causing interference.
If Avenge or Ethan’s Baby show speed, Blanc is certain She’s a Big Winner will be patient.
“If they go fast enough, I’ll be able to sit off,” he said. “She’s not speed-crazy, but she’s quick.”
First post for Friday’s nine-race program is 12:30 p.m. Pacific, a half-hour earlier than recent Fridays.
Beware of Sherlock first-time starter
Trainer Gary Sherlock is accustomed to early-season success with juveniles.
“I won the first race the last two years,” he said.
The streak ended on Thursday. Sherlock did not have a runner in the first race of the year for 2-year-olds in Southern California, a maiden special weight for fillies. He does have a runner in Friday’s second race, a maiden special weight race for California-breds at 4 1/2 furlongs that has drawn five colts, two geldings, and a filly.
Sherlock runs Star Express, a colt by Bushwacker who will start from the outside post.
“He’s ready to go,” Sherlock said. “I like the draw. Hopefully, by the turn, he’ll be over. I think he can pass a horse. I think he’ll run well.”
The two runners on the inside – the filly Tumbleweedprincess and the colt Runbrorun – have workouts that suggest they will show speed. Both are trained by John Brocklebank, a longtime consignor to sales of 2-year-olds in training in California.
Tumbleweedprincess, by Forest Command, and Runbrorun, by Run Brother Run, were given workouts at Dixie Downs, a non-parimutuel track and training center in St. George, Utah, before being sent to Santa Anita in mid-April. They both worked three furlongs in 34:40 seconds from the gate at Santa Anita on April 20, which equaled the fastest workouts of the morning.