Super Shine dominates Desert Stormer after Sweet Azteca scratches

ARCADIA, Calif. - Super Shine won for the first time in the United States in her fifth start in the country in Sunday’s $92,000 Desert Stormer Stakes at Santa Anita, beating two rivals after the scratch of odds-on morning-line favorite Sweet Azteca earlier in the day.

Trainer Richard Baltas scratched Sweet Azteca after noticing the filly had sustained “a little nick,” on a leg, which he ventured may have occurred during training in recent days.

“We worked on it” Saturday, Baltas said. “It’s starting to get a little inflammation.

“She jogged sound, but she didn’t like me touching it.

“It’s very unfortunate. The horse comes first, obviously. It was one of those things. This would have been a nice spot to start out in.”

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A three-time graded stakes winner, Sweet Azteca has not raced since finishing fourth at 1-10 in the Grade 3 Chillingworth Stakes at Santa Anita last October. When she resumed training earlier this year, Sweet Azteca was transferred from trainer Michael McCarthy to Baltas by owner and breeder Pam Ziebarth.

Super Shine led throughout the Desert Stormer Stakes for fillies and mares, winning by two lengths. Ridden by Hector Berrios, Super Shine ($6.40) was the outsider of three. She finished six furlongs in 1:09.46 after setting early fractions of 22.16 for the opening quarter-mile and 44.82 for a half-mile.

Super Shine earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 91.

Chismosa, the 4-5 favorite, was third early and moved into second on the turn. Fayette Fox, who was second early, could not keep pace and faded to finish third, beaten 6 1/4 lengths.

Super Shine started for the first time on Sunday since she finished second by 10 lengths to Show Card in the restricted Tranquility Lake Stakes at Del Mar last September. In that race, and when she finished a well-beaten third in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes last July, Super Shine was away slowly.

In recent weeks, Super Shine was repeatedly schooled in the gate at Los Alamitos, trainer Phil D’Amato said.

“They did a lot of gate work with her,” he said of his Los Alamitos-based staff. “In her last two races she lost the race because she didn’t break well.”

Super Shine had a better start on Sunday.

“Hector said she was good in the gate,” D’Amato said.

Super Shine, a 6-year-old Argentine-bred mare owned by R Unicorn Stable, won for the fifth time in her 15th start. She has earned $260,531. In Argentina, Super Shine won four times – a maiden race and three Group 2 races – at distances ranging from seven furlongs to about 1 1/4 miles.

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