Sneaking Out makes it look easy in Evening Jewel Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Sneaking Out didn’t get off to the best of beginnings in the $200,351 Evening Jewel Stakes for 3-year-old California-bred fillies on Saturday at Santa Anita, but it mattered not, for she was much the best over her eight rivals, coasting home by 2 1/2 lengths while geared down late by jockey Drayden Van Dyke.

Sneaking Out ($3), the heavy favorite, bobbled slightly leaving the gate but recovered quickly to sit third behind two dueling leaders in the 6 1/2-furlong race. She swooped to the lead in upper stretch, was up by four lengths with a furlong to go, and breezed home for her third win in four starts.

“She bobbled, which made me nervous, but she recovered, and it looks like she didn’t grab a quarter or anything,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said after the race.

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Dr. Wysong, seventh early, rallied for second, 2 1/4 lengths in front of Ruby Bradley, who nosed out Violette Szabo for fourth. Silk From Heaven was fifth and was followed by Time for Kisses, Naughty Tiger, Lippy, and Settle It.

Sneaking Out was timed in 1:18.07 on the fast main track. This was her stakes debut. She won once in two starts last summer at Del Mar before returning two weeks ago following a six-month layoff.

“She had a problem with a tibia,” Hollendorfer said. “She trained real well coming back. The only thing I was worried about today was coming back quickly, but she handled it.”

Sneaking Out, a daughter of the Indian Charlie stallion Indian Evening, was bred and is owned by the KMN Racing Stable of Kevin and Kim Nish.