St Trinians captures Adoration; filly is 'Hot' in Torrey Pines

St Trinians captures Adoration; filly is 'Hot' in Torrey

Pines

Sent off the 4-5 favorite in the seven-distaffer field, the six-year-old mare

returned $3.80, $3.20 and $2.60 to her faithful backers. Downhill Diva (Swiss

Yodeler), the 7-1 fourth pick, just got up to take second by a head over

Victoryasecret, with Grade 2 winner Washington Bridge (Yankee Gentleman) another

1 1/4 lengths back in fourth. Jet Blue Girl (Gimmeawink), Church Camp (Forest

Camp) and Ellafitz completed the order under the wire after It Tiz (Tiznow) was

withdrawn.

St Trinians competed in Great Britain through 2008, then she made the

trans-Atlantic voyage to America and Mitchell's shedrow. The bay started her

U.S. campaign on a winning note, taking an optional claimer, an allowance, the

Paseana H. and the Santa Maria in succession. She suffered her first loss

stateside when taking on the boys in last year's Santa Anita H. (G1) before

giving Horse of the Year Zenyatta a big scare when nearly capturing the Vanity

H. (G1).

St Trinians' huge effort fell just a half-length short in the Vanity and she

wasn't seen in competition again until reappearing for a title defense in the

Santa Maria on February 12. Third by only three parts of a length on that

occasion, she's since run fourth in the Santa Margarita Invitational (G1),

Vanity and Clement L. Hirsch H. (G1), with a first-to-fourth via

disqualification in the Milady H. (G2) also thrown in the mix.

St. Trinians is closing in on a half-million in earnings, having now banked

$440,758 with Sunday's winner's share.

"I had a handful there. She was fresh and she really wanted to go,"

jockey Pat Valenzuela said of Sugarinthemorning. "I had a time trying to

get her to settle down. Her first time around two turns and it was a

good race for her. She'll be better for it next time."

Great Hot was making her third start during the current Del Mar, having

finished fifth in the San Clemente S. (G2) on July 24 and third in the August 19

Sandy Blue H. The sophomore lass broke her maiden at first asking in her native

Brazil last October before shipping to the United States. She opened her

stateside account with a 2 3/4-length optional claiming tally at Santa Anita

before making her turf debut in the San Clemente.

Returning to the main track here, Great Hot improved her career mark to

5-3-0-1 and more than doubled her lifetime earnings to $111,265.

"First time, she bled on me, second time she got better and this time she got

the job done," Avila said. "She's a good filly and she's better on dirt (than

synthetics). On dirt, she's for real."