Ambaya claims G1 Victory Sunday, Santa Anita Photo
Santa Anita Park Press
ARCADIA, CA —Making her graded stakes debut, Ambaya finished best of all under Kazushi Kimura to prevail by a half-length in Sunday’s Grade I, $300,000 American Oaks presented by Cygames going 1 ¼ miles on turf. Ambaya is trained by Jonathan Thomas, who earlier on the card also won the GII Mathis Mile with Hiding in Honduras.
Kimura picked up the mount on Ambaya after her scheduled rider, Antonio Fresu, injured his foot earlier on the program. Ambaya (12-1) settled in mid-pack and saved ground throughout while racing along the rail. She then split horses near the eighth pole and finished best of all to win in a time of 2:01.02. Eastern invader and 5-2 favorite Cliffs finished second under Jose Ortiz. She was followed across the wire by Will Then (7-2) and Take A Breath (9-1).
Fractions were 23.55, 48.30, 1:13.35 and 1:37.75.
Ambaya is a homebred daughter of Ghostzapper owned and bred by George Strawbridge’s Augustin Stable. For 45-year-old Thomas, this was his third career Grade I win. In 2018, Thomas won both the GI Travers and GI Belmont Derby with Catholic Boy.
“I’m feeling great,” Thomas said. “This the first Grade I win for the Strawbridge’s. They were here and they have been such an integral part of our barn. So, to pull that off for them today it was so meaningful.”
Ambaya’s only previous stakes try was a third-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Christiana Stakes on turf at Delaware Park in September. Most recently, Ambaya earned minor awards in a pair of allowance events during the Del Mar fall meet. With the win, she improved to 6: 2-2-1 with $245,960 in earnings.
Ambaya paid $27.40, $9.20 and $5.20. Cliffs, trained by Cherie DeVaux, returned $4.60 and $3.20. Will Then, also trained by Thomas and ridden by Flavien Prat, paid $3.60.
Live racing resumes Monday at Santa Anita with a nine-race program starting at 12 p.m. PT.
