Ventura returns in style in Santa Monica

Ventura (outside) and Jibboom (gray) gave Juddmonte a one-two punch (Benoit Photo)

Juddmonte Farms' homebred VENTURA (Chester House) swept to the front in early

stretch and kept stablemate Jibboom (Mizzen Mast) at bay in the latter stages to

secure a one-length win in Saturday's $300,000

Santa Monica H. (G1) at Santa Anita.

Making her first start since bagging the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in

runaway fashion, the classy five-year-old finished off seven furlongs on the

Pro-Ride in 1:21 3/5 under the guidance of Garrett Gomez. The 123-pound highweight was sent off as the 1-5 favorite and paid $2.60, $2.20 and $2.10,

while keying the $1 gimmicks: $3.20 exacta, $11.40 trifecta and $26.10

superfecta (7-6-3-1).

"She was traveling beautifully for me," Gomez said. "It felt like I had a

loaded gun the whole time. The only reason I had to get into her a little was

that when she makes the lead, she thinks her job is done."

Baroness Thatcher (Johannesburg) broke alertly and led the field through

fractions of :23 1/5 and :45 4/5 for the opening half-mile, before being inhaled

by her foes approaching the final turn. Jibboom had a very brief lead but was

soon overtaken by Ventura, who had just begun her winning run on the outside. To

the credit of Jibboom, she dug in gamely and made it interesting in second while

2 1/4 lengths clear of her nearest pursuer. Place was worth $3 and $2.40 as the

9-2 second choice, and the show

payout for the 10-1 She's Cheeky (Black Minnaloushe) was $2.80. Tizzy's Tune (Tiznow) was next

and followed by Baroness Thatcher and So Long Sonoma (American Chance). Indian

Blessing (Indian Charlie) and Wake Up Maggie (Ire) (Xaar) were scratched.

Ventura would not be denied in the Santa Monica (Benoit Photo)

A smart allowance winner on Santa Anita's downhill turf in her American bow,

she rallied from far back to claim the Madison S. (G2) on Keeneland's Polytrack.

Ventura then switched back to the turf for her next four starts, finishing third

in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. (G3) before adding the Just a Game S. (G1)

to her line. The dark bay just missed by a nose next out in the CashCall Mile

Invitational S. (G2) and filled the runner-up spot once again when taking on the

boys in the Woodbine Mile (Can-G1), prior to her Breeders' Cup romp. She's now

earned $1,539,315 to go along with her 16-8-5-1 career mark.

Ventura was produced by the multiple French stakes-placed Estala (GB) (Be My

Guest), whose youngest offspring is an unraced three-year-old colt named Oba

King (Mizzen Mast). Estala is herself a half-sister to English Group 3 warrior

Vortex (GB) (Danehill); French stakes victress and classic-placed Erudite

(Generous); and French Group 3 queens Prove (Danehill) and Danefair (Danehill),

the latter the dam of multiple English Group 3 winner Trade Fair (GB) (Zafonic).

Ventura's third dam is Cairn Rouge (Ire) (Pitcairn), heroine of the Irish One

Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) and Champion S. (Eng-G1) in 1980.