Stay and Scam has no trouble going longer, wins Fran's Valentine

ARCADIA, Calif. - Stay and Scam is both a turf sprinter and an accomplished miler.

Any doubt after her ability at the slightly longer distance ended with a perfect-trip victory in Saturday’s $102,500 Fran’s Valentine Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Santa Anita.

Earlier this year, Stay and Scam won the Irish O’Brien Stakes for fillies and mares at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course in March and was later second and third in two Grade 3 stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf in April – the Wilshire and Royal Heroine.

Back with statebreds in the Fran’s Valentine, Stay and Scam was a standout in a field of 10 and ran accordingly. Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Stay and Scam stalked 11-1 Sneaker to the turn before taking the lead.

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Stay and Scam led by 1 1/2 lengths with a furlong remaining and was urged to the wire by Gutierrez. Stay and Scam finished a length in front of 27-1 Moment’s Pleasure, who had her stakes debut in her fifth start on Saturday.

Stay and Scam paid $3. She was even money when the field was being loaded in the gate and was the subject of a series of significant late win bets.

Stay and Scam, who races for owners and breeders Paul and Zillah Reddam, was timed in 1:35.13 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 87.

“She’s an honest filly,” trainer Doug O’Neill said. “Paul said, ‘Let’s try to stretch her out.’

“We thought one turn on turf was what she wanted and she proved us wrong. Mario did a great job.”

Cornelia Fort (18-1) closed from seventh to finish third, followed by Carmen Miranda, Sneaker, Abhita, Shezmisbehaving, Madiha, Rose Dawson and Tam’s Little Angel.

Stay and Scam, a 4-year-old filly by Square Eddie, has won 6 of 13 starts and earned $382,760. She has finished in the first three in 11 of her 13 starts, and in her last eight races.

The Irish O’Brien and Fran’s Valentine are her only stakes wins. She was third by a head in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf for statebreds on the hillside turf course in her stakes debut in January.

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