Spring Lily tackling tougher company in Santa Ysabel

ARCADIA, Calif. – Minutes before Spring Lily had her Santa Anita debut in a maiden race on Feb. 4, trainer John Shirreffs turned to jockey Evin Roman and offered simple advice.

“We need an Eclipse Award-winning ride,” Shirreffs said.

The timing was ideal. Just 10 days earlier, Roman was honored with the Eclipse Award as the outstanding apprentice jockey of 2017. In the maiden race, Roman delivered Shirreffs’s wishes, guiding the filly to a five-length win going 6 1/2 furlongs.

The victory has led Spring Lily to Saturday’s Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. Despite the presence of the stakes winners Dream Tree and Midnight Bisou, Spring Lily fits in the $150,000 race.

“She lacks experience, but her numbers are good out of that maiden race win,” Shirreffs said.

Spring Lily earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 88 in the maiden race, which was restricted to homebreds and horses bought for $100,000 or less at public auction. Spring Lily, by Union Rags, was bred by Emily Wygod and races for her parents, Marty and Pam.

Spring Lily finished seventh at Del Mar last November in her debut when trained by Clifford Sise. She was transferred to Shirreffs in the weeks after that race.

Shirreffs said he was somewhat surprised Spring Lily won a sprint. She led throughout the Feb. 4 race and was in control in early stretch as an 18-1 outsider.

“I was thinking the race was a little short for her,” he said.

Spring Lily’s best chance on Saturday may be from the front. Dream Tree, who has won three consecutive stakes, and Midnight Bisou, the winner of the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs on Jan. 7, tend to race as stalkers.

“In the morning, she’ll do whatever you want,” Shirreffs said. “She’ll sit next to a horse and be patient. It was a little surprising to see her out there last time.”

The Santa Ysabel Stakes is a prep for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on April 7.

One filly missing from the 3-year-old division so far this year is Moonshine Memories, the winner of the two Grade 1 races last September – the Del Mar Debutante and Chandelier Stakes.

Moonshine Memories has not raced since finishing seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar in November, and will have her first workout of the year in early March, trainer Simon Callaghan said on Wednesday.