Ancient Peace breaks her maiden at second asking Dec. 30, 2022 (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Stable Notes by Victor Ryan
ARCADIA, Calif.— Fast-rising 3-year-old filly Ancient Peace will make her stakes debut Saturday for trainer John Sadler in the GIII Providencia going 1 1/8-miles on turf.
Ancient Peace made two starts last year in Southern California while with trainer Graham Motion. In her second outing against maidens on Dec. 30 at Santa Anita, Ancient Peace graduated by a growing 4 ¼-lengths when going a mile on turf. The daughter of War Front was subsequently entered in the 2023 Keeneland January Horses of all Ages sale where she commanded a final bid of $650,000 from Boardshorts Stables, who now campaign the filly.
In her first start for Sadler and her new owner April 8, Ancient Peace ran off and dominated a first-level allowance going a mile in a race that was moved to the main track. She held an 11-length lead at the quarter pole before being geared down to finish an easy six-length winner.
“We liked her going into that race. She had trained really well,” Sadler said Thursday morning. “Obviously you don’t know what’s going to happen when you switch surfaces, but it worked out fine. We’re going back to the grass because she’s already a winner over this turf course and this looks like a good spot for her.”
Top jockey Juan Hernandez will ride Ancient Peace for the first time Saturday.
Among Ancient Peace’s chief rivals in the Providencia is the Irish-bred Paris Secret for trainer Phil D’Amato. After debuting in her native country last October, Paris Secret was sent stateside. She surfaced in the March 18 China Doll going a mile on turf where she was off slow and had traffic trouble before finishing a non-threatening fourth. Kazushi Kimura, who was aboard for the China Doll, returns to Santa Anita from Woodbine to ride Paris Secret.
The Providencia goes as the fourth race on Saturday with an approximate post time of 2 p.m. The field in post position order: Pleasant Wave, Diego Herrera; Miss Lizzy, Antonio Fresu; Broadway Girls, Edwin Maldonado; Ancient Peace, Juan Hernandez; Paris Secret, Kazushi Kimura; Una Palabra, Victor Espinoza.
