ARCADIA, Calif. – A 3-year-old filly named for a sushi restaurant may have stamped herself a major player in the California older female dirt division, though not likely this fall in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Sugar Fish won the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita, where she rallied from last to defeat the unlucky pacesetter Alpha Bella by 1 1/2 lengths. Third-place Desert Dawn finished nine lengths back; race favorite Nothing Like You and Che Evasora completed the order. Flying Connection was scratched Sunday by track veterinarians. Tyler Baze rode Sugar Fish ($7.20) for trainer Jeff Mullins, majority owner Michael Talla, and minority owner Kim Lloyd. Although the Zenyatta is the California prep for the BC Distaff, this year’s Zenyatta will have minimal influence, if any, on the BC Distaff. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. After the Zenyatta, Talla downplayed the idea of taking on Thorpedo Anna and Idiomatic in the Distaff. “We’re gonna think about it, but that’s probably all we’re gonna do,” Talla said. “That’s a tough, tough race (against) those older mares. She (Sugar Fish) is only 3. She’s a baby.” She’s a baby who is getting better. Sugar Fish, named for a sushi restaurant chain on the west side of Los Angeles, is a two-time graded winner. She won the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks by nearly 10 lengths in June, then was overmatched and finished sixth in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar. The Zenyatta represented a drop in class for Sugar Fish, and she delivered with a ground-saving ride from Baze. He lagged in last, inched closer while saving ground on the backstretch and far turn, cut inside in the lane, and outfinished Alpha Bella in 1:43.53 for 1 1/6 miles. One could argue that Sugar Fish was second-best, because runner-up Alpha Bella stumbled badly when the gates opened. “She (had) a little stumble,” Alpha Bella’s jockey Hector Berrios said. He added through an interpreter “It was pretty bad.” Alpha Bella went straight to her nose when the gates opened. Although she quickly recovered and made the lead on the rail, the damage was done. Few horses win after such a severe mishap. Alpha Bella set an easy half-mile in 48.25 under token pressure from Nothing Like You. Alpha Bella snuck away into the stretch, but Baze and Sugar Fish were tucked inside and within striking range. Sugar Fish rallied inside the pacesetter and inched clear late. Desert Dawn finished nine lengths back in third; her status for the BC Distaff could be dubious. Nothing Like You misfired, and Che Evasora finished last by 28 3/4 lengths after showing unexpected speed. Che Evasora won a Win and You’re In Breeders’ Cup race in South America, and therefore qualifies for the BC Distaff. The Zenyatta was her first start in North America. It was the fourth career win for Sugar Fish, whose owners Talla and Lloyd look forward to campaigning as an older filly. Maybe then, they will aim for the BC Distaff. “We’ve got next year, she’ll run as a 4-year-old and 5-year-old,” Talla said. He jokingly added, tongue in cheek, “then we’re going to find out how good Thorpedo Anna really is.” Sugar Fish, now 4 for 8 with earnings of $310,040, is the highest earner by a progeny of Accelerate. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.