Ellafitz wires Bayakoa for first stakes victory

by Jennifer Caldwell

D & E Racing's Ellafitz did all the running in Sunday's Grade 2, $150,000

Bayakoa

Handicap at Hollywood Park, setting splits of :24, :48, 1:12 1/5 and 1:36

1/5 on the Cushion Track before finishing up an easy 3 1/4-length winner in 1:42

3/5 under jockey Martin Garcia.

"I wanted to let her set her own pace and she relaxed real nice," Garcia

said. "When I asked her to go, she just kicked. It was pretty easy."

Ellafitz entered the 8 1/2-furlong Bayakoa off a three-month break, having

last been seen running seventh in the Adoration Stakes on September 4 at Del

Mar. There was no sign of rustiness off the shelf, though, as the Bob Baffert

four-year-old flew home to return $11.80, $6.60 and $5 as the near 5-1 third

choice.

"Every single time when she has some time off she improves," Garcia said.

"When she's ready to come back, she let's you know. I've been on her in the

mornings and let's just say I loved the way she was working."

Miss Mittagong, the 10-1 sixth pick in the seven-distaffer field, grabbed

second by three parts of a length over Bauble Queen, with Love Theway Youare

completing the superfecta in fourth. City to City, the 8-5 favorite, followed in

fifth while defending champion Washington Bridge wound up sixth, 2 1/4 lengths

in front of Champagne d'Oro, who brought up the rear.

"My filly ran well, but the winner just got an easy lead and was galloping

away on the front end," said Joel Rosario, who piloted Miss Mittagong. "I never

had a chance to go get her. The winner was very impressive, but my horse also

ran a good race.''

Ellafitz captured her maiden debut at Woodbine in November 2009 for trainer

James Smith, but found herself joining Baffert's barn before the start of her

sophomore season.

"The owner's name is Ella (Sivage) and I told her there's a horse we need to

buy and she loved this horse because her name was Ellafitz," Baffert explained.

"We paid in the low six-figures for her."

The daughter of Tiznow proceeded to hand her connections a third in the Grade

2 Santa Ysabel Stakes. She also ran third in the Torrey Pines Stakes last

season, and finally broke through with a first stakes win in this one.

"She's had little things that bothered her, but she's getting better with

age," Baffert said. "She's been really working well and we couldn't find a race

for her, that's why she's had a lot of time off. I've been trying to find an

allowance race for her but it wouldn't fill. Then she worked a great (seven

furlongs in 1:24 on November 28 at Santa Anita) and then I said, 'You know what,

I'm going to run her in the Bayakoa if she's doing that well.' I think this race

may have been her best by far."

Ellafitz was bred in Kentucky by Mineola Farm II LLC, David R. Houchin and

James W. Hirschmann. The bay filly, who now boasts $230,857 in earnings along

with a 12-4-2-2 career mark, is out of the unraced Dixieland Band mare Skat

Girl, making her a half-sister to stakes winner Andiamo. This is the same female

family as Grade 2 scorer Ventana.