NEWS
Always a Princess surges free in El Encino
Posted: Sunday, January 16, 2011 8:26 PM
ALWAYS A PRINCESS
Benoit & Associates photo
For video of the El Encino Stakes, click here.
by Tim Nichols
Blind Luck probably will have her moment Monday when she is expected to be named champion three-year-old filly at the Eclipse Awards. On Sunday, however, the spotlight belonged to Always a Princess.
Arnold Zetcher’s Always a Princess opened a huge lead on Blind Luck entering the stretch and held plenty left in reserve to hold off the 2010 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner to take the $150,000 El Encino Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park.
Making her eighth career start, Always a Princess readily engaged Champagne d’Oro in a speed duel on the outside as the duo spurted away from three other four-year-old fillies. Meanwhile, Blind Luck, making her season debut, raced more than nine lengths off the pace in last after six furlongs in 1:08.72.
Entering the stretch, Always a Princess found another gear under Rafael Bejarano while multiple Grade 1 winner Champagne d’Oro flattened out.
Blind Luck attempted to close the gap entering the stretch, but the combination of the distance she needed to make up on Always a Princess and a new dirt track that has been tough to close on at Santa Anita proved too much for the probable champion three-year-old filly to overcome.
“We just didn’t want to go that fast, but you know, what are you going to do?” said Jim Barnes, assistant to winning trainer Bob Baffert. “Once we throw the jock up, it’s all up to them. I had to just let him make the right decision. They went fast, but we kept going.”
Always a Princess covered 1 1/16 miles on a track rated as fast in 1:41.47. Blind Luck finished second and Fashion Trend was third in the five-horse field.
Trained by Baffert, who won the San Fernando Stakes (G2) on Saturday with Indian Firewater, Always a Princess improved to four wins from eight starts and earnings of $426,048. She is one of three winners from as many starters out of stakes winner Gabriellina Giof (GB), by Ashkalani, and is a half sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Gabby’s Golden Gal.
Always a Princess also is the leading earner for her sire, Leroidesanimaux (Brz), who stands in Florida for $7,500 at Stonewall Farm Ocala.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Tim Nichols is internet content editor for Thoroughbred Times
