NEWS
Tuscan Evening in complete control in Santa Ana
Posted: Sunday, March 21, 2010 8:44 PM
TUSCAN EVENING (Ire) MUCH THE BEST AT SANTA ANITA
Benoit & Associates photo
To view the Santa Ana Handicap, click here.
by Mike Curry
The firm Southern California turf has brought out the best in Tuscan Evening (Ire), who won the Santa Ana Handicap (G2) on Sunday at Santa Anita Park to improve to nine wins in 13 starts since she was shipped from Europe to the Golden State.
Winless in 11 starts in England and Ireland to begin her career, Tuscan Evening blossomed after she joined the stable of Jerry Hollendorfer at the start of her four-year-old campaign last year. She won five of her first six starts in Southern California, including the Royal Heroine Mile Stakes (G2) at Hollywood Park, and has become a star female on the grass with graded stakes victories from 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles.
The Oasis Dream (GB) filly set the pace in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Ana through a half-mile in :49.78 and six furlongs in 1:13.66. Cat by the Tale surged into contention under Joel Rosario approaching the stretch, but Tuscan Evening lengthened stride on jockey Rafael Bejarano’s cue and shook free to win by 1 1/4 lengths.
"This mare can do anything she wants, especially at this distance,” Bejarano said. “I knew we were the speed and I was very confident in her. I knew [Cat by the Tale] had some speed, but I didn't think they would want to send her and try to chase me.
“[Tuscan Evening] stumbled a little bit at the top of the stretch and she lost her momentum for a jump or two, but she was full of run and she got going again.”
William Deburgh’s Tuscan Evening covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.03 on firm turf. She had never won a race longer than 1 1/16 miles entering the Santa Ana, but Tuscan Evening rose to the challenge again despite conceding from six to ten pounds to seven opponents.
“[Rafael Bejarano] was careful about being on the lead,” Hollendorfer said. “He made the right judgment and handled the pace very well, so we're very pleased. We wanted to know the answer to that question [if she could handle 1 1/8 miles], and I think she answered it well today."
Bred in Ireland by Hascombe and Valiant Studs, Tuscan Evening has won nine of 24 starts and earned $809,408. Out of Group 3-placed winner The Faraway Tree, by Suave Dancer, Tuscan Evening could go on the road for her next start in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2) on May 1.
Grade 2 winner Cat by the Tale was 1 3/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher General Consensus.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
