Warren's Showtime surges to California Distaff triumph
ARCADIA, Calif. - Warren’s Showtime won her first career appearance on Santa Anita’s unique hillside turf course in Saturday’s $100,500 California Distaff Handicap at about 6 1/2 furlongs, for her seventh career stakes win.
The 4-year-old Warren’s Showtime closed from last in a field of six to win the California Distaff by a cozy three-quarters of a length over 7-1 Sedamar. Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Warren’s Showtime rallied between Cassie Belle and Bella Vita in early stretch and passed stretch leader Sedamar in the final furlong.
“She came with a big run and finished pretty good,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez said he considered making a wide rally with Warren’s Showtime, but saw the race unfold in his favor toward the inside with a little less than a quarter-mile remaining.
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“I was kind of waiting to see,” Hernandez said. “My plan was to go outside, but I could see there was space.”
The second choice, Warren’s Showtime ($6.80) was timed in 1:13.76 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 88.
Sedamar (7-1) finished second in a stakes for the fourth time in her career, all since June 2020. Anna Fantastic (4-1) set a moderate pace of 22.90 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.99 for a half-mile, but could not sustain the effort, losing by three-quarters of a length.
Bella Vita, the 11-10 favorite, was third in early stretch and finished fourth, followed by Cassie Belle and Pulpit Rider in the field of California-bred fillies and mares.
Warren’s Showtime races for owners and breeders Ben and Sally Warren and trainer Craig Lewis. A filly by Clubhouse Ride, Warren’s Showtime has won 8 of 22 starts and has earned $775,431. In her two previous starts, Warren’s Showtime won the Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes at a mile on turf here in June and was third in the Solana Beach Stakes for statebred fillies and mares on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 15.
Warren’s Showtime’s first six stakes wins were at distances ranging from a mile to 1 1/16 miles on turf and dirt. The California Distaff was her first start in a sprint since a third in the Sunshine Million Filly and Mare Turf Sprint for statebreds at six furlongs on the oval turf course here in January.