Top Fortitude connects at 30-1 in Laz Barrera

ARCADIA, Calif. - An eight-year drought in stakes ended for jockey Kayla Stra on Saturday when she rode the outsider Top Fortitude to a shocking win in the $100,500 Lazaro Barrera Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita.

Top Fortitude ($62.20) was always near the front. Third on the backstretch, Top Fortitude took the lead in early stretch and won by a half-length over the Puerto Rico import Tonito M. Top Fortitude ran seven furlongs in 1:22.98.

Stra, whose last stakes win occurred in late 2005 in her native Australia, has ridden in the United States since 2007.

She said planned to have Top Fortitude near the lead in the Grade 3 Barrera.

“I thought everything went to plan,” Stra said. “It looked simple.”

Top Fortitude was in close pursuit of Ferocious and Twenty Percent for the opening quarter-mile in 22.95 seconds. Ferocious led by a head after a half-mile in 46.19 before Top Fortitude took the lead.

“We told Kayla to keep him up in the game,” winning trainer Kory Owens said.

Tonito M., a winner of 6 of 7 starts in Puerto Rico, finished a half-length in front of Ferocious, who was a half-length clear of Kobe’s Back.

Kobe’s Back, the 3-5 favorite, broke a stride slowly, and raced on the inside on the turn. Jockey Corey Nakatani guided Kobe’s Back to the outside of Ferocious and Top Fortitude entering the stretch, and seemed well-placed to win the race. Kobe’s Back was within a length of the lead with a furlong to go, but could not sustain the effort, losing by 1 1/2 lengths.

Puppy Manners finished fifth, followed by Twenty Percent and Chelios.

Top Fortitude, a colt by Top Hit, races for Triple AAA Ranch. The Grade 3 Laz Barrera Stakes was Top Fortitude’s third start. After an impressive win in a maiden race on the synthetic main track at Hollywood Park last November, Top Fortitude missed training time earlier this year. The colt finished last of 10 in an optional claimer behind Ferocious on April 12, a loss Owens partially attributed to the Top Fortitude taking dirt in his face.

“He had such a bad race last time he ran,” Owens said. “It was the first time that he felt that kickback. On synthetic, he didn’t have that.”

Top Fortitude has won 2 of 3 starts and $87,250.