Toinette's rally pays off with Autumn Miss triumph

ARCADIA, Calif. - Toinette launched her autumn campaign with a striking victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes at a mile on turf for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita that is likely to lead to higher-class races.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, Toinette ($6.80) closed from eighth in a field of 14 to win by 2 1/4 lengths over 9-5 favorite Ms Bad Behavior, who set a quick pace. Toinette was timed in 1:33.11. She was given a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

Toinette was sixth with a half-mile to go and closed with a wide rally in the stretch to take the lead in the final sixteenth.

“We didn’t want her up on the pace,” trainer Neil Drysdale said. “I thought she settled well. She’s maturing.”

Streak of Luck, the 7-1 fourth choice, finished third, followed by K P Pergoliscious, Pulpit Rider, Flammetta, So Hi Society, Hey Negrita, Movie Moment, West Palm Beach, Streetwithnoname, Tesora, Spring Lily, and Rayya.

Ms Bad Behavior, who was second in the Unzip Me Stakes on the hillside turf course for 3-year-old fillies on Sept. 29, set quick fractions of 22.24 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.65 for a half-mile. Ms Bad Behavoir led by 1 1/2 lengths with a furlong remaining, but could not sustain the effort.

Toinette, by Scat Daddy, was supplemented to the $103,105 Autumn Miss Sakes for $2,000 when entries were taken Wednesday. Owned by a partnership, Toinette has won 4 of 6 starts and earned $258,920.

Toinette won the Grade 3 Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs on turf on May 4 in her stakes debut and was ninth in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks at Belmont Park on July 7.

Drysdale said Toinette will be pointed to races at the Del Mar autumn meeting.