Stays in Vegas handles longer distance of Surfer Girl
ARCADIA, Calif. - For a filly who had never run beyond seven furlongs or raced on turf, the 2-year-old Stays in Vegas handled a new job with the poise of a veteran in Saturday’s $101,500 Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita.
Always near the front, Stays in Vegas ($17.40) won the one-mile turf race by 2 1/4 lengths, avoiding the trouble that led to a lengthy inquiry involving second- and third-place finishers Lucky Folie and Mirage and a disqualification.
Lucky Folie finished 2 3/4 lengths in front of Mirage, but was disqualified and placed third after drifting to the inside and forcing jockey Tyler Baze to check Mirage in the final furlong.
“Tyler said he was lucky that she didn’t come down,” trainer Simon Callaghan said. “She still toughed it out to finish third.”
Stays in Vegas, who was ridden by Alex Solis, was timed in 1:35.23. She became a candidate for the Surfer Girl after a five-furlong workout on turf in 1:02.40 on Sept. 27.
“When she worked on turf, she did it very easily,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said.
Hollendorfer said he hoped Stays in Vegas would get a stalking trip for her first start at a mile.
“I wanted him to get her away from the gate,” Hollendorfer said of instructions to Solis. “I think she relaxed nicely down inside and was never panicked about being in there. She came off the rail handily and did her job.”
Optimism and Hope finished fourth, followed by Do the Dance, Jakaby Jade, One Last Shot, Aguacate, Imflatoutsweet, Sooner Time, and One True Kiss. Jakaby Jade, the 9-5 favorite, was beaten 7 1/2 lengths. Trained by Doug O’Neill, Jakaby Jade won the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf in her American debut on Sept. 7.
Stays in Vegas, by City Zip, races for Jungle Racing, KMN Racing, and the LNJ Foxwoods partnership. She won the Wine Country Debutante at Santa Rosa on Aug. 14 and was fifth behind stablemate Songbird in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs on Sept. 5. Stays in Vegas has won 3 of 4 starts and earned $130,600.