Santa Maria
Horseman Bobby Frankel cross-entered Stronach Stables' SUGAR SHAKE (Awesome Again) in Saturday's $250,000 Maria H. (G1), where she would take on older mares while carrying 115 pounds, and Sunday's La Canada S. (G2), in which she would face fellow four-year-olds as the co-highweight at 123 pounds. Frankel opted for the Grade 1 prize with less weight, and his astuteness was rewarded when the bay filly wired the field under a well judged ride by David Flores. Sugar Shake broke sharply from the inside post and dictated a leisurely tempo of :24, :48 2/5 and 1:12 2/5. Ermine (Exchange Rate), who went off as the 2-1 favorite, kept tabs on her in second and delivered her challenge on the far turn, but Flores simply let out another notch on the front runner. Sugar Shake widened her lead through the Santa Anita stretch, crossing the line 1 3/4 lengths ahead of her nearest pursuer while completing the 1 1/16-mile test in 1:43 4/5 on the fast track. "The first half, it looked like we got away pretty easy, and after that, when they came to her, she just re-broke again," Flores said. "She just changed gears and went to a different stride when they got close to her. She kind of pricked her ears again down the lane, and I just had to work a little bit on her. But she was going so easy. She wouldn't let the other filly (Ermine) go by. She's a very strong filly."
Ermine stuck to her task gallantly for runner-up honors, with three-quarters of a length to spare over Rahys' Appeal (Rahy) in third. Next came Freakin Streakin (Tactical Advantage), Seafree (Chief Seattle), River Savage (Brz) (First American), Dona Amelia (Chi) (Big Blue) and Political Web (Petionville).
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Dispatched as the 3-1 second choice, the winner yielded $8.40, $3.80 and
$3.40. Ermine gave back $3.80 and $3 while ending the $12.90 exacta ($1). Rahys'
Appeal returned $3.80 to show at 5-1 and rounded out the $55.30 trifecta ($1).
The 1-5-8-4 superfecta ($1) was good for $278.10 with the 10-1 Freakin Streakin
in fourth.
Sugar Shake has now amassed $358,256 from her 11-5-2-3 line. Seventh in the
Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) last July in her stakes debut, she returned to
the allowance ranks for her next two outings. After a smart score at Churchill
Downs, Sugar Shake earned her way back into graded company in the El Encino S.
(G2) last time out. She set a pressured pace in that event and was headed in the
stretch, but she came again to post a gritty, one-length score
The Kentucky-bred victress is out of Grade 2 winner Skipping Around (Skip
Trial), who is also the dam of a juvenile filly named Salvadoria (Macho Uno).
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