Trip Notes for February 13-14: Royal Delta, San. F. Davis, Santa Maria, and more...

Saturday, February 13
Gulfstream - Royal Delta (race 4)

COMMENT: Penwith had always hinted at graded stakes ability and now she is delivering on that promise. Coming off an optional-claiming win here Jan. 21, her first start in almost a year, she went right after pacesetter Best Behavior from the start, dogging her through modest splits, got the better of her on the turn, drew off into the lane and didn’t have a nervous moment thereafter. Sandiva, coming off a win in the Grade 3 Marshua’s River on turf here Jan. 9 and racing on dirt for the first time, had enough speed to stalk in third after a slow start, moved wide on the far turn to try and make a run, kept to her task decently and finished well clear of the rest. This seems proof she’s better on turf. Best Behavior won sprinting in the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl and had won going a mile. She went right out to the lead, buckled from the pressure on the far turn from Penwith, and ended up a well-beaten third. This 1 1/8-mile trip appears beyond her best.

Laurel - Barbara Fritchie (race 8)

COMMENT: Dancing House helped make it a big day for Godolphin and trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who had won Gulfstream’s Grade 2 Royal Delta with Penwith earlier this day. Dancing House ran second to La Verdad in the Interborough at Aqueduct Jan. 9, her first start in nine months. She apparently got what she needed out of it. She dogged early pacesetter Hot City Girl through solid splits, looked in trouble when favored Lady Sabelia stormed past into the lane, but dug deep, finished well and was edging away late. Clothes Fall Off, also coming off a win at Aqueduct and also trained by McLaughlin (for different owners), sat not far behind Dancing House while staying inside, came out into the lane and finished well. Lady Sabelia, favored after winning 8 of her last 11, including this race last year and another stakes here last time out Dec. 5, sat back early. She came with a strong run to contend for the lead into the lane, put her head in front by midstretch as though she might go on to win, but then died on her run after drifting in somewhat inside the final furlong. Sweet On Smokey, coming off two easy wins here, including the What a Summer Jan. 2, sat last going to the far turn and could make only modest headway. Wonder Gal, Grade 1 placed and cutting back to a sprint after a third in the Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct Jan. 10, stalked the pace but gave way. Hot City Girl, romping winner of the Safely Kept here Nov. 14 and a sharp second in the Grade 1 La Brea at Santa Anita Dec. 26, set a solid early pace under pressure but gave way in the lane. It’s possible shipping back and forth across the country took something out of her.

Tampa - Sam F. Davis (race 5)

COMMENT: Destin, a $400,000 son of Giant’s Causeway, added blinkers and finished fourth in the Grade 3 Lecomte at Fair Grounds Jan. 16. He stepped up his game some and likely put himself among the Todd Pletcher Triple Crown possibilities with a win here. He stalked in fourth as Morning Fire set a modest pace, moved closer going to the far turn, came through between horses, and drew clear to win fairly easily. Rafting, making his 2016 debut, sat just behind Destin, didn’t accelerate quite as quickly, got going into the lane to loom a big threat by midstretch, and finished well clear of the rest. Morning Fire, winner of the Pasco, went right to the lead in this race, his first route, and set modest splits. He battled back when challenged turning for home, was still in the hunt in midstretch, but then tired. Gettsyburg, another Pletcher runner who was favored off an allowance win going longer at Gulfstream, stalked the pace while inside, seemed in good spot going down the backside, but backed out of it in the lane.

Tampa - Endeavour (race 8)

COMMENT: Tepin, last year’s champion turf distaffer and winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile, made her first appearance of the season and didn’t even need to break a sweat. She sat just off early pacesetter Lovely Loyree from the start, took over when asked coming into the lane, and drew off to win geared down. Lady Lara, off since a strong win in the Grade 3 My Charmer at Gulfstream Park West Nov. 21, sat just behind Tepin, tried to go with her into the lane while inside, couldn’t accelerate as quickly, but got going well late to just get up for second. Lovely Loyree made it 12 in-the-money finishes in her last 13 starts. She battled back when hooked by the winner into the lane, and only lost second in the final strides. Photo Call, winner of the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive at Santa Anita Sept. 26 and making her first start since running fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, stalked in fourth, looked briefly threatening coming into the lane, and lost second by a neck and three-quarters of a length. This was a solid first step back.

Tampa - Tampa Bay (race 10)

COMMENT: Reload won the Grade 3 Canadian Turf at Gulfstream Park in February 2014, but after that race was sidelined for 15 months. He broke slowly, was content to lag well back as first Spark Kit and then 61-1 longshot Take the Stand set a strong pace, steadily advanced, switched out on the turn, and nailed Take the Stand in the final strides. Take the Stand, fourth to Reload in an optional claimer at Belmont Oct. 10, dueled early with Spark Kit, quickly got the better of that rival through fast splits, and couldn’t quite fend off Reload. Karibu Gardens, a Grade 2 winner on turf at Woodbine in 2014 and coming off a romping win in an optional claimer at Gulfstream, broke slowly, was last early, remained well back turning for home, swung very wide and finished strongly to miss by just a neck and a half-length. Sky Captain had run just once since finishing second (placed fourth by DQ) in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill on the Kentucky Derby undercard last May 2, finishing eighth at Churchill Nov. 15. He fared better here, as he sat midpack, came with a threatening run into the lane but couldn’t sustain it. A Lot, facing elders for the first time after a placing in graded stakes last year at 3, sat midpack early, got shuffled back going to the far turn and never mustered a run. War Correspondent, who was sidelined nine months before running seventh in the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale at Gulfstream Jan. 9, was favored, but after stalking the pace while saving ground he gave way.

Golden Gate - El Camino Real Derby (race 7)

COMMENT: Frank Conversation beat many of Saturday’s rivals in the California Derby here Jan. 16, and another half-furlong and the outside post didn’t change things. He was farther back early here than in the California Derby, sitting midpack as Kelly With a Twist set a modest pace. Frank Conversation stayed wide on the far turn to commence his run, surged to a clear lead into the lane, and kept hard-charging Tusk at bay. Tusk, making his first start on synthetic after six turf starts, sat back just behind Frank Conversation, didn’t accelerate quite as early but got going into the lane and finished well to be a clear second. He’s by Tapit, whose progeny run on anything. Kasseopia, the second choice who was making his first start in over four months, was far back early after a slow start, steadily improved his position, swung very wide into the lane and finished well for third. San Dimas stalked the pace and stayed on decently. Diplodocus was far back until turning for home and finished well.

Santa Anita - Arcadia (race 3)

COMMENT: Making his first start since July 4, Bolo beat the two horses in Obviously and Om who have to be considered among the top turf milers on the West Coast and stamped himself a potential big player in the turf division. He showed good speed to sit behind pacesetter Obviously, looked in trouble when that guy scooted further clear into the lane, but reeled him in and edged past at the line. Obviously, coming off a second in the longer Grade 2 San Gabriel, shot right out to a clear lead, as is his custom, set sizzling splits, opened up into the lane as if going on to victory, but couldn’t fend off the winner. Om, winner of three Grade 2’s in recent months including the Mathis Brothers Mile here Dec. 26, got a dream trip stalking in third. He kept after the top two, but they just weren’t coming back to him.

Santa Anita - Santa Maria (race 8)

COMMENT: Tara’s Tango, the favorite, was away slowly but got a nice position stalking the pace as Yahilwa, Living the Life and Birdatthewire volleyed up front through modest splits. Tara’s Tango launched her bid the top of the lane and edged past a stubborn Yahilwa. Yahilwa was third in the Grade 2 La Canada here Jan. 16 behind Saturday rival Birdatthewire, who ran second. Today, Yahilwa dispatched with her pace foes and only succumbed to the winner in the final half-furlong. Living the Life, fourth in the Grade 2 Santa Monica, was still in the thick of it in midstretch but weakened a bit in the final half-furlong. This is the longest she’s run, so she did well, though she now has a 5-0-1-1 record on dirt. Birdatthewire, winner of the Grade 1 La Brea and a troubled second to Taris in the Grade 2 La Canada here last month, weakened in the lane. She still seems best as a late-runner going one turn.

Sunday, February 14
Oaklawn - Bayakoa (race 8)

COMMENT: Call Pat was 10th in this race last year, dueling for the lead and caving in. She’s since changed her style and was making her first start since a third in the Grade 2 Falls City at Churchill Nov. 26. Today, she was slow into stride and sat far back early as Meshell set a slow pace. Call Pat swung out into the lane and closed to get up in the final strides. Streamline stalked the pace, made her run into the lane, was still in front of the eventual winner by midstretch, but couldn’t finish with that foe. Meshell had plenty of gas in the tank for the stretch drive, and she battled gamely when hooked in the lane but came up a half-length and neck short while finishing far clear of the rest. Sarah Sis, the 7-5 favorite off her sharp second in the American Beauty here last month, seemed in a good spot stalking the pace but never mustered a run.