Santa Barbara Stakes (Grade 3)- $125.000 Purse
SA- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Half on the Turf
May 14, 2022

After finishing seventh in the Grade 3 Very One, Maya Caribe was dropped into an optional claimer, and would be picked up for $25.000 by First Flight Stable. Her new trainer liked what he saw and confidently entered her back into graded territory. His new acquisition would reward him for the confidence by winning the twelve furlong Santa Barbara Stakes in a tight, three-way photo. It is the first win in the race for First Flight and jockey J J Hernandez. Congratulations to them! The time of victory was 2:26.20, not one of the quickest, but all that was needed. Let’s take a look!

(½ Mile- :49.55)- Build Battle leads the field down the opening portion of the course for Mb Stables and onto the regular turf course, and would hold about a length lead early before Directors Chair, trained by Nakamura Stables, joined her. They would run side by side down the front stretch, and hold a two length advantage over the eventual race winner, First Flight Stable’s Maya Caribe. Ginger Tiara ran right beside her for The Sidley Stud, and that one’s stablemate, Flying Kaki was another two lengths back.

(3/4 Mile- 1:14.04)- Not much new to report over this segment of the race, but now it is Directors Chair with a minor advantage over Build Battle. The lead is still approximately two lengths, with Ginger Tiara a neck in front of Maya Caribe for third, and Flying Kaki continues to trail. Let’s see if business starts to pick up as we move forward.

(Top of Stretch, 1.6F To Go)- Completing the backstretch portion, and moving into the turn, Directors Chair has now left Build Battle behind moreso because the latter seems unable to keep up the pace any longer. She is now falling into the clutches to Ginger Tiara and Maya Caribe, who each move down a lane to ensure that they are not hindered by her as they move into the stretch. They have both gained a little ground on Directors Chair, too, and were in great striking race as they prepare to run for the wire. Flying Kaki was cutting into her deficit as well and looked like she would have something to say in the stretch.

(Finish- 2:26.20)- Directors Chair shows some grit as she continues to try and hang on to the lead. Both Ginger Tiara and Maya Caribe were nipping away at her with every stride, but neither of them were clearing the other and it seems like it was going back and forth as to which was poking a head in front. This continued all the way to the finish, and it would all come down to the head bob. In an extremely tight photo, Maya Caribe gets the nod by the slimmest of margins over Ginger Tiara and Directors Chair was only very narrowly beaten herself. Only one length further to the others, with Build Battle topping Flying Kaki.

About The Winner- Maya Caribe, trained by First Flight Stable, and ridden to victory by J J Hernandez, is a five year old mare by Spanish Capitano and is out of the late Warrior Dance. She was bred in Ontario as a yearling by First Street Stables, and picked up by First Flight with a $25.000 claim last month. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her sixth in 21 starts, her second stake win and first graded win. Her career earnings are now $349.160.

Track: Firm
Time: :49²  1:14   2:01⁴  2:26¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 4 – 1 Paid 15.60
$1 Trifecta: 4 – 1 – 3 Paid 300.60

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES