ARCADIA, Calif. — Back on turf, trainer Peter Miller’s Bulletproof One went to front and never looked back in Saturday’s $75,000 Unzip Me Stakes, prevailing by 2 ¼ lengths while providing jockey Ricardo Gonzalez with his first-ever Santa Anita stakes victory. A 3-year-old California-bred filly by Idiot Proof, Bulletproof One got 5 ½ furlongs in 1:01.12.
“She’s so cool, to have a crack sprinter like her that just guns out of the gate and goes as fast as she can for as far as she can, it’s such a joy…,” said Aron Wellman, on behalf co-owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. “We just needed her to come out of the gate and say goodbye. She’s been so good to us; Gary and Cecil Barber, Adam Wachtel, Eclipse of course. I want to thank Pete Miller and Ricky Gonzalez for continuing to find the keys to her ignition.”
A well beaten sixth as the 6-5 favorite in a 5 ½ furlong dirt allowance at Del Mar Sept. 6, Bulletproof One, the lone Cal-bred in the lineup, was nonetheless dispatched as the 8-5 favorite versus seven rival sophomore fillies and paid $5.40, $3.60 and $2.80.
“She cleared the horses very easily, she always has had natural speed,” said Gonzalez. “On the grass, she is a different filly. She is able to relax a lot more and skip across that ground really well. She was by herself, got a nice breather, relaxed perfectly and then kicked on again.
“Yes, this is my first Santa Anita stakes win and it’s a great feeling to do it in a race like this.”
Purchased privately by owners Gary and Cecil Barber, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Wachtel Stables following a 9 ¼length state-bred win in her second start at Pleasanton on July 31, 2019, Bulletproof One, who is out of the Decarchy mare Onefunsonofagun, notched her third stakes win and her first in open company while improving her overall record to 14-7-2-0. With the Speakeasy winner’s share of $60,900, she now has earnings of $361,162.
“I was expecting her to run big. I know that she’s a different horse on the grass and she loves this track. She ran big on this track and did really well today. We just needed her to come out of the gate and say goodbye. She’s getting more professional but still wants to go short, she’s a sprinter,” Ruben Alvarado, assistant trainer to Peter Miller commented.
“We are looking to run something short in Keeneland next.”
Ridden by Flavien Prat, Aqua Seaform Shame checked in second and paid $4.80 and $3.80, while Biddy Duke, with Mario Gutierrez up, paid $4.80 to show.
Fractions on the race were 21.67, 43.72 and 55.12.
2020 Unzip Me Stakes Replay
Press Release
Photo: Bulletproof One. Credit: Benoit Photos
