Santa Barbara

J. Paul Reddam, Suarez Racing Inc. & Mark Schlesinger's SHARP LISA

(Dixieland Band) earned her first win of the year with a gate-to-wire victory in

Saturday's $200,000

Santa

Barbara H. (G2) at Santa Anita. The win wasn't easy, though, as she had to

battle all the way to the wire under Corey Nakatani as the 4-1 second choice.

Breaking on top, Sharp Lisa set splits of :24 3/5, :49 3/5 and 1:15 with

Theater R. N. (Theatrical [Ire]) not far off her flank to the outside. Moving

into the turn, that rival started backing up but was immediately replaced by

Eternal Melody (NZ) (Shinko King), who gave the winner all she could handle.

Running nip and tuck to the line, a nose was all that separated the two game

fillies at the line, with the Doug O'Neill-trained Sharp Lisa finishing 1 1/4

miles on the firm turf in 2:02.

"This filly is so gutsy and has so much heart and she showed it today,"

O'Neill said. "I'm just glad we hit the wire at the right moment. I don't think

we had the lead right before or right after the wire."

Paying out $10.40, $5 and $5.20, Sharp Lisa started the $1 exotics of $24.40

(exacta) and $219.30 (trifecta). Eternal Melody was game in defeat, returning

$5.80 and $5.20 at 6-1, while Cissy (Arg) (Acceptable) finished another 2 1/2

lengths back in third to give $8.20 as the 25-1 longshot. Argentina (Ire)

(Sadler's Wells), the 3-5 favorite, was another nose back in fourth and followed

by Aubonne (Ger) (Monsun) and Theater R. N. Hallowed Dream (Ire) (Alhaarth) was

scratched.

Sharp Lisa posted her first win in this spot since taking the Las Virgenes S.

(G1) last year at Santa Anita. She also owns a score in the Santa Ynez S. (G2)

and placings in the Hollywood Starlet S. (G1), Alcibiades S. (G2) and this

season's La Canada S. (G2). The four-year-old chestnut miss was making just her

second turf start here after running three parts of a length back in fourth in

the Santa Ana H. (G2) prior to this one, and now boasts a 12-4-2-1 career mark

with $597,100 in lifetime earnings.

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Sharp Lisa is the most successful foal out

of Winter's Gone (Dynaformer), who has an unraced sophomore colt named Sprint at

Last and an unraced juvenile filly called Sharp Susan (Touch Gold). The Santa

Barbara winner was purchased for $50,000 at the 2003 Keeneland September

Yearling Sale.