Categories
English Events Horse Happenings

I DAZZLE TACKLES ODDS-ON FAVORITE AROUND FAR TURN AND POWERS TO NECK VICTORY IN $75,000 AMERICAN BEAUTY STAKES AS SADLER RUNS 1-2-3

ARCADIA, Calif. (April 7, 2013)—In her first start for trainer John Sadler, Louisiana-bred I Dazzle, with Rafael Bejarano up, tackled 1-2 favorite In the Stars approaching the five-sixteenth pole and held on to win Sunday’s $75,000 American Beauty Stakes by a neck, getting one mile on turf in 1:33.42, as Sadler’s runners finished one-two-three in a five-horse field.

                In the run to the Club House turn, 17-1 longshot Little Emily, with Jorge Carreno up, went to the front and was joined head and head by In the Stars with Gary Stevens.

                “I could see that Gary Stevens was going pretty quick and I wanted to keep my horse relaxed,” said Bejarano, who entered the day well atop the Santa Anita jockey standings with 76 wins—21 clear of Edwin Maldonado.  “I could see Stevens open up around the turn and when I asked my horse, she gave me a good kick.”

                Previously trained by Jack Van Berg, I Dazzle is a 5-year-old mare by the Storm Cat stallion Hold That Tiger.  Owned by Jones or Peluso, she picked up $45,900 for the win, increasing her earnings to $178,837.  A second-condition allowance winner at Santa Anita on Feb. 23, she improved her overall mark on Sunday to 16-4-2-2.

                Off at 9-2, I Dazzle paid $11.40, $5.00 and $9.20.

“She trained very well the last three or four weeks and we did a few things to put her in our program and she responded nicely,” said Sadler, who notched his 27th win of the meet.

                English-bred Moone’s My Name, who made her U.S. debut for Sadler as the second choice at    3-1, finished well under Garrett Gomez and paid $4.20 and $6.80.

                Irish-bred Byrony was off at 10-1 with Joe Talamo and finished third, a 3 ½ lengths behind Moone’s My Name and paid $10.00 to show.

It was another 1 ¼ lengths back to favored In the Stars, who tired badly.

Fractions on the race were 22.88, 46.05, 1:09.66 and 1:21.64.

                Two weeks remain at the current winter/spring meet, with live racing resuming on Thursday.  First post time is 1 p.m.  For more racing information, visit www.santaanita.com.