Super Shine. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.—Making her first start since September, Super Shine (ARG) went to the lead under Hector Berrios and fended off a late challenge from odds-on favorite Chismosa to earn her first stakes win in Sunday’s $100,000 Desert Stormer Stakes for fillies and mares going six furlongs at Santa Anita.
Earlier Sunday, the complexion of the Desert Stormer changed dramatically when Grade I winner Sweet Azteca, who was also set to make her seasonal debut, was scratched.
Sent off the 2-1 third choice against two remaining rivals, Super Shine broke on top then soon had company on the front end from Fayette Fox (9-5). Tracking that pair a couple lengths back in third was Chismosa (4-5). Super Shine would edge away from Fayette Fox on the turn but starting to gather momentum was Chismosa with jockey Kyle Frey aboard.
Chismosa moved up to within a length of Super Shine at the top of the stretch, but she would get no closer. Super Shine continued on determinedly and crossed the wire two lengths the best. Chismosa was 4 ¼ lengths clear of third-place finisher Fayette Fox.
Super Shine won in a time of 1:09.46 after setting fractions of 22.16, 44.82 and 57.04.
In four starts last year, all stakes, Super Shine helped fill the superfecta on all four occasions. She finished second in both the GII Santa Maria at Santa Anita and the Tranquility Lake Stakes at Del Mar, third in the GII Great Lady M at Los Alamitos and fourth in the GII Santa Margarita at Santa Anita.
In both the Great Lady, where she was beaten 12 lengths by Sweet Azteca, and the Tranquility Lake, Super Shine’s chances were compromised by poor starts.
“Last year, I remember she would break and then veer out,” Berrios said. “Now, she was much more focused. When I got to the lead comfortably, I thought right then, she’s winning.”
A 6-year-old mare by Super Saver, Super Shine was bred in Argentina where she was a Group I winner in 2023.
“We were originally putting her in here to just kind of give her a race and get her ready for Del Mar,” D’Amato said. “I’ve got to give credit to my crew at Los Alamitos…they all work really hard and did a lot of gate work with her. In her last two races she lost because she didn’t break very well. She broke right on top today and didn’t look back. She is a nice quality filly and hopefully we will have some fun with her the rest of the year.”
Super Shine paid $6.40 for the victory. Owned by R Unicorn Stable, she improved her overall record to 15: 5-6-2 with $260,531 in earnings.
Live racing resumes Friday at Santa Anita with a nine-race card starting at 1 p.m. PT. Every Friday at the Hollywood Meet, on-track patrons receive free parking and admission plus $3 beers and $5 margaritas.
