|
|
Tanda impresses in stakes-record time in Santa Paula
La Nez (Storm Creek), last seen finishing third to Kentucky Derby (G1) candidates Caracortado (Cat Dreams) and Alphie's Bet (Tribal Rule) in the California Breeders' Champion S., bided her time at the tail of the group before taking the overland route into the stretch. The 5-2 second choice rallied for second, catching Sister Dawn by a neck and returning $3.80 and $2.60. Sister Dawn gave back $2.60 to show for finishing 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Crisis of Spirit. The $1 exotics were good for $25.90 (exacta), $71.20 (trifecta) and $157.50 (2-7-5-3 superfecta). Church Camp (Forest Camp), who had chased Crisis of Spirit early, faded to last of the quintet. Five Silver Stars (Five Star Day) and Seriously (Gulch) were withdrawn. Tanda's only prior synthetic attempt came in her career debut in December, and even that wasn't by design. The six-furlong maiden was transferred from the Hollywood Park turf to the Cushion Track, where she was fifth with a bit of trouble. Tanda spent her three subsequent starts enjoying Santa Anita's downhill turf course. A 3 1/2-length maiden winner on January 3, the bay finished second to Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf runner-up Rose Catherine (Speightstown) in the January 24 Sweet Life S. Tanda reverted to allowance/optional claiming company last time out on March 5, driving to a 1 1/4-length decision. Her Santa Paula success advanced her line to 5-3-1-0 and nearly doubled her bankroll to $127,710. Hendricks was asked about the turf-to-synthetic move. "I just wasn't sure (how she would handle it), because I always watched her work before she ever ran on turf, so I was just a little worried about switching to another surface," the trainer said. "But now all those worries are gone, and I'm just thankful that David Ingordo bought her at the (OBS April two-year-old) sale (for $145,000). He did a super job finding her out of a thousand horses. "I owe it all to him and the owner, Bob (Hutton). He was very patient. He told me from the beginning, 'You don't have to rush her.' David took her from the sale, let her down and trained her back up lightly, sent her to me, and I got her up to some breezes before I got her to Del Mar, but I told Bob, 'She's just not right. She's just not ready to go on further.' I didn't breeze her until the end of Del Mar, and it was the key to her. I think she'll go on, off of this race, and I'm not worried about surface or distance now." Bred by Kristine L. Mitchell in Florida, Tanda was produced by the unraced Dr. Caton mare Doc's Stormy Girl, making her a half-sister to stakes winner Leigh McLovin (Flame Thrower), a yearling filly named Royal Stimulus (Repent) and a 2010 filly by Van Nistelrooy. She hails from the family of Countus In (Dancing Count), queen of the 1990 Matriarch S. (G1).
 Send this article to a friend
|
|
