ARCADIA, Calif.— Fresh off an authoritative one mile turf stakes win and unbeaten in two Southern California starts, Phil D’Amato’s Irish-bred Comanche Country should be plenty tough among a field of 10 juvenile fillies in Sunday’s Grade III, $200,000 Surfer Girl Stakes which will be contested at a flat mile over the Santa Anita turf.
The 9-5 favorite in her U.S. debut, a one mile turf maiden special weight at Del Mar July 30, Comanche Country rallied nicely through the lane to win going away by three-quarters of a length. Subsequently off at 2-1 among a field of 11 in the ungraded Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf on Sept. 10, Comanche Country was all business turning for home en route to a 1 ¼ length win in which she posted a 76 Beyer Speed Figure.
Second, beaten a nose in her six-furlong turf debut April 25 in Ireland, she was never a factor in her final Irish start, a seventh-place run in a Group III stakes going six panels on turf May 15.
Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables and Valerie Naify, Commanche Country is 4-2-1-0 overall and will be ridden for the third consecutive time by Umberto Rispoli.
A first-out five-furlong maiden turf winner in open company June 10, the Brian Koriner-trained Sell the Dream, a California-bred filly by Munnings out of the Run Away and Hide mare Enayat Alsalam, came back to be third versus statebreds going 5 ½ furlongs on dirt in the CTBA Stakes Aug. 7 and in her most recent start, she rebounded with a vastly improved effort at one mile on turf, running second to the top pick in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Sell the Dream, who earned a 73 Beyer in her most recent start, should be plenty tough in her second try at one mile on grass. Owned by Edward Brown, Alan Klein and Phil Lebherz, Sell the Dream will be ridden for the fourth time by Abel Cedillo.
A first-out maiden winner going five furlongs on dirt and most recently a well-beaten fifth going seven furlongs in the Grade I Del Mar Debutante, Bob Baffert’s Fast and Shiny has been supplemented to the Surfer Girl as she tries turf and two turns for the first time.
Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Fast and Shiny, a Kentucky-bred filly by Bernardini out of the Lion Hearted mare Spotted Heart, will be handled for the first time veteran Joe Bravo in her third career start.
THE GRADE III SURFER GIRL WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 5 of 10 – Approximate post time 3 p.m. PT
- Bolts Babe—Kyle Frey—120
- Sell the Dream—Abel Cedillo—120
- Comanche Country—Umberto Rispoli—124
- Bolt’s Broad—Drayden Van Dyke—122
- Court Snort—Mario Gutierrez—122
- Fast and Shiny—Joe Bravo—120
- Queenzy—Mike Smith—122
- Excelia—Ramon Vazquez—120
- Havana Angel—Ryan Curatolo—120
- Cast Member—Hector Berrios—120
First post time for a 10-race card, which will include three stakes on Saturday is at 1 p.m.
Santa Anita Park Press Release
Main photo: Comanche Country wins the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf (Benoit Photo)
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