Ambaya wins American Oaks as turf stakes end in upsets

A trio of graded grass stakes on opening day at Santa Anita ended in upsets, led by the 12-1 surprise of Ambaya in the $300,000 American Oaks (G1).

The final Grade 1 race of the year in the United States, the American Oaks drew 11 sophomore fillies to race 1 1/4 miles over good turf. Bettors overlooked Ambaya, a daughter of Ghostzapper exiting a late-running fourth-place finish in a $50,000 allowance optional claimer at Del Mar.

That defeat came racing one mile, and Ambaya relished stretching out another quarter-mile in distance for the American Oaks. Under jockey Kazushi Kimura, the Jonathan Thomas trainee saved ground in fifth place through fractions of :23.55, :48.30, and 1:13.55 before surging between rivals down the homestretch to prevail by half a length in 2:01.02.

“She always steps through from the gate, but today was actually smooth right out the gate, so it was quite easy to get a nice position,” said Kimura of Ambaya, who races in the colors of breeder George Strawbridge Jr.’s Augustin Stables. “I didn't need to fight with her or send her too much. I was tracking Flavien (Prat, the rider of Will Then), and when he decided to move to the outside, I got the extra room for myself.”

Cliffs, the 5-2 favorite off a Churchill Downs allowance win, tracked the pace and led in midstretch before settling for runner-up honors. Will Then finished another neck back in third place, followed by Take A Breath, Resolve, Totally Justified, A Thousand Miles, Ribbons, As Catch Can, Slick, and Atsila.

Jockey Antonio Fresu was originally slated to ride Ambaya, but he suffered an apparent foot injury when hitting the rail during Race 7, prompting Thomas to name Kimura as a replacement.

“I may have grilled (Kimura),” said Thomas. “I made him watch replays then I talked to him for five minutes, shook him and said, ‘The filly is training fantastic, she can win if you get a good trip.’ And he rode her beautiful. He really gave her a great ride.”

The American Oaks marked the second stakes win on the card for Thomas. Earlier in the afternoon, before Fresu’s injury, Thomas and Fresu teamed up to spring a 9-1 surprise with Hiding in Honduras in the $200,000 Mathis Mile (G2), a grass contest for three-year-olds.

Hiding in Honduras seemed an unlikely winner. The gelded son of Dialed In scored his lone victory on Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs, and in his only grass start, he finished fourth in Del Mar’s Let It Ride S. behind a trio of rivals he faced again in the Mathis Mile.

But under a perfect ride from Fresu, Hiding in Honduras managed to turn the tables. He saved ground in third place against splits of :23.35 and :47.63, dropped back to fourth place while waiting for racing room, and then found a seam between rivals to surge late and catch Let It Ride winner Tempus Volat by a head in 1:35.13.

Namaron finished one length back in third place, while Friendly Confines, Lyle The Crocodile, and Geometry trailed the field.

“We have liked this horse,” said Thomas, who trains Hiding in Honduras on behalf of owner Robert V. LaPenta. “They actually really liked him on the farm where he was broke. He just has to get it together between his ears. But I’d like to congratulate Mr. LaPenta. He has been a big part of our barn since the very beginning. To win a race like this is very special.”

The $100,000 San Gabriel (G3) ended in a somewhat smaller upset as 6-1 shot Cabo Spirit, in his 38th start overall and his 28th at the graded stakes level, led all the way to beat 10 rivals in gallant fashion.

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith allowed the son of Pioneerof the Nile to open up a lead as large as three lengths through fractions of :23.18, :47.14, and 1:11.21. Challengers loomed large down the lane, but Cabo Spirit repulsed every bid to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths, completing 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.34.

"The trip was brilliant,” said Smith. “… The track is a little on the softer side today, and I think it suited him. He broke well and I was able to get a comfortable lead. He felt confident and positive all the way around."

Astronomer launched a bid, but flattened out in the final furlong to finish second. Mondego, Stay Hot, Endlessly, Flashiest, Twirling Point, Nineeleventurbo, Suchet, St Anthony, and Nesso’s Lastharrah completed the order of finish.

Owned by Kretz Racing and trained by George Papaprodromou, Cabo Spirit is now a five-time graded stakes winner with earnings of $1,356,836. His San Gabriel triumph marked a sharp rebound from his eighth-place finish in last month’s Seabiscuit H. (G2) at Del Mar.

“We tried something different last time out, sitting right off the leader and that didn’t work out,” said Papaprodromou. “Today I just told Mike, ‘Just get him out there, he likes it out there and gets comfortable.’ He goes there and he turns off for a while and he loves it. He loves Santa Anita, he trains well, he ran huge.

“At the quarter pole when he opened up a length or two, I thought he kind of got it, but he’s one of those horses that is sneaky. He knows when they are coming. Sometimes he wants to wait for them, but today he just took off. He always tries and has his ways. I had him as a two-year-old and I love him.”

Racing continues on Monday at Santa Anita with a nine-race card highlighted by two stakes, including the Joe Hernandez (G2).