Sircat Sally makes Providencia her first graded stakes victory

ARCADIA, Calif. - On turf or dirt, against state-breds or in graded stakes, Sircat Sally has been unbeatable the last six months.

In Saturday’s Grade 3 Providencia Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita, Sircat Sally ($2.60) led throughout to win her graded stakes debut with little urging from jockey Mike Smith.

The $150,345 Providencia Stakes was the fourth consecutive stakes win for Sircat Sally. She won the Soviet Problem Stakes for Cal-bred 2-year-old fillies on dirt at Los Alamitos in December and is unbeaten in three stakes this year, all on turf: the Cal Cup Oaks against Cal-breds in January, the minor China Doll Stakes against open company March 11 and the Providencia.

“It looks like she can do anything,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said. “She has speed and can run long. You can’t ask for more.”

Sircat Sally took the lead shortly after the start of the Providencia, setting a moderate pace of 24.10 seconds through the opening quarter-mile and 49.06 for a half-mile, leading by as much as two lengths.

Sircat Sally was challenged in early stretch by You Missed It and Emphatically, but quickly repelled the threat and pulled away to win by 2 1/4 lengths. Sircat Sally was timed in 1:48.77.

“We thought we’d be on the lead,” Hollendorfer said. “She opened up.”

You Missed It, a maiden after six starts, finished second. She was second in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf last September. Emphatically finished third in her stakes debut, and was followed by Princess Roi, Tiburtina and War Moccasin.

Union Strike was scratched and entered in Sunday’s Santa Paula Stakes. Beau Recall, second to Sircat Sally in the China Doll Stakes, unseated jockey Joe Talamo in the warmup and ran off before being scratched.

Sircat Sally, by Surf Cat, races for owner and breeder Joe Turner. Sircat Sally has earned $348,860. She won her debut at Del Mar last November with a five-length win in a six-furlong maiden race for Cal-breds.