Fast and Shiny looking both fast and shiny winning the Angel Flight in March (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Mike Willman/Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.— A stakes winner over the course, Fast and Shiny cuts back in distance off a pair of routes and heads a field of 10 fillies and mares going about 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in Sunday’s $100,000 Unzip Me Stakes.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Fast and Shiny has been idle since well beaten at one mile on turf in the Grade II San Clemente Stakes at Del Mar July 22. A winner of the ungraded Angels Flight down the hill four starts back on March 26, Fast and Shiny was then a close fifth over the course in the Grade III Senorita three starts back on May 6 and tired to finish fourth going a mile and one eighth on grass in the Grade III Honeymoon two starts back on June 10.
A 3-year-old filly by Bernardini, Fast and Shiny, who is owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, should appreciate a return to the hillside as a fresh horse on Sunday. She’ll be reunited with Juan Hernandez, who guided her to A neck victory on dirt in a first condition allowance at six furlongs here on Feb. 19.
An impressive 2 ¼ length gate to wire allowance winner going a mile and one sixteenth on turf two starts back on July 22, Spendthrift Farm’s Ruby Nell opened up by four lengths early in the Grade I Del Mar Oaks at a mile one eighth on turf Aug. 19 but tired to finish fourth, beaten 4 ½ lengths.
Idle since, this 3-year-old filly trained by Richard Mandella tries the hillside for the first time as she cuts back to a sprint following three consecutive turf routes as she seeks her first stakes win in what will be her seventh career start. With Edwin Maldonado up, it’s likely she’ll be pressing the early pace despite the fact she hasn’t sprinted on any surface since April 23.
C R K Stable’s Justique, a minor sprint stakes winner on dirt at age two, was most recently third, beaten 9 ½ lengths by eventual Grade I winner Ceiling Crusher going one mile in the Grade III Torrey Pines Stakes Sept. 2 and will be trying turf for the first time as she shortens up out of four consecutive routes—three of them Grade III stakes.
A 3-year-old daughter of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, Justique is trained by John Shirreffs and will be making her eighth overall start as she bids for her third career victory. Ridden for the third consecutive time by Mike Smith, Justique has earnings of $185,040.
THE $100,000 UNZIP ME STAKES
Race 5 of 9 Approximate post time 3 p.m. PT1. Justique—Mike Smith—124
2. Lunar Impact—Joe Bravo—120
3. Free and Humble—Antonio Fresu—120
4. Alternate Rock—Hector Berrios—122
5. Havana Angel—Diego Herrera—120
6. Ruby Nell—Edwin Maldonado—120
7. Wed—Umberto Rispoli—124
8. Wide West—John Velazquez—124
9. Fast and Shiny—Juan Hernandez—124
10. Make it Snow—Victor Espinoza—120
First post time for a nine-race card, which includes three other stakes on Sunday, is at 1 p.m. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.
