Sunday Rules all the way in Kalookan Queen Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Sunday Rules won her third stakes, but her first against open company, in Wednesday’s $98,850 Kalookan Queen Stakes for female sprinters at Santa Anita. To do so, Sunday Rules pulled away late, leading home two other California-breds who completed the trifecta – 5-1 Kiss At Midnight and 39-1 Lost Bus.

Sunday Rules ($3.80) led throughout the Kalookan Queen Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs, finishing in 1:14.77. She set quick fractions of 21.52 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.18 seconds for a half-mile, leading by at least a half-length through the first half of the race.

Sunday Rules, ridden by Mike Smith, drew off in the stretch to win by 4 1/4 lengths.

“When she got a clear lead, I felt comfortable that she’d run well,” Smith said. “She was well within herself.”

Kiss At Midnight finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of Lost Bus, who was followed by Tara’s Tango, Wasted At Midnight, Stealth Drone, Harlington’s Rose, and Dancinthenightaway.

Owned by breeder Nick Alexander, Sunday Rules has won 7 of 8 starts. She won the Generous Portion Stakes for California-bred 2-year-old fillies in 2013 when trained by Mike Mitchell. Phil D’Amato began training Sunday Rules in 2014. Under his direction, she won the Spring Fever Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares last May.

Sunday Rules was third in the Grade 2 Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos in July, her only loss, but rebounded to win an optional claimer at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 22, her only start on grass.

By Tribal Rule, Sunday Rules has earned $444,840. She earned $59,940 for the win. As a result, Alexander’s stable reached a single-season high for earnings with $1,053,115, surpassing its previous best figure of $1,039,634 achieved in 2013. He has one more runner this year with Grazen Sky in Thursday’s sixth race.