(Benoit Photo)
ARCADIA, Calif. (June 26, 2016)—The longest shot in a field of five fillies and mares, Shh She’s Ours sped to the lead and never looked back as she took Sunday’s $75,000 Desert Stormer II Stakes at Santa Anita by 1 ¼ lengths under Victor Espinoza. Trained by Jim Cassidy, she covered the six furlong distance in a rapid 1:07.75—despite the fact she stayed on her left lead the length of the stretch.
“That’s just her,” said Cassidy in reference to his filly’s reluctance to switch leads. “She’s going so fast, she doesn’t know she’s doing it. She was a bad actress when we got her (following her first start in July, 2014), but she’s settled down quite a bit.
“I honestly don’t think it matters how fast she goes because she’s got so much heart from the quarter pole home.”
Although she had won her last three races, Shh She’s Ours, a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Tiz Wonderful, was off at 13-1 and paid $29.60, $4.00 and $3.20. Owned by Deron Pearson’s DP Racing, she now has five wins from nine starts and with the winner’s share of $47,580, she increased her earnings to $176,790.
“She’s getting really good,” said Espinoza, who has been aboard throughout her four game winning streak. “Before, her biggest problem was that she was so tense and she wanted to go as fast as she could but she was doing it tensed up. She’s learned how to relax and save more for the end.
“She’s so fast. I have to sit on her and just take a hold of that mane because she comes out of there like a rocket.”
Ridden by Tyler Baze and conditioned by leading trainer Phil D’Amato, 1-2 favorite Sensitively was also in search of her fourth consecutive win as she sat second behind scorching splits but could never get on terms with the winner. Finishing second, 4 ¼ lengths clear of Brazilian-bred Juno, she paid $2.20 and $2.10.
Idle since Sept. 7, Juno made her U.S. debut with Flavien Prat up for trainer Richard Mandella. Juno broke sharply and showed good speed as she laid third, just inside Sensitively, going into the far turn and outran Luminance through the lane for third money, finishing a half length in front of her. Off at 5-1, Juno paid $3.20 to show.
Fractions on the race were 21.49, 43.89 and 55.66.