Santa Barbara Stakes
1 1/2 Mile Turf Stake Purse $100.00 Filly & Mare 4 Year Olds And Up.

1st Loihi Martyparty Gutierrez Mario

This was a significant win, not only for this mare and Martyparty but also for us as players going forward. Why would I put such significance on this win you may ask, well it is the fact that she carried 127Lbs giving all the field weight. A few years ago, this would have been unheard of, as any penalty was a death sentence and one pound seem to equate to about a length on the race engine. Last year however when the three’s started taking on the older horses they didn’t seem to have the sweeping success that they had enjoyed in the years before and my suspicions were raised that some calculation had been changed or added to the code in the race engine. Well, it looks as that scenario is still alive and well because whilst this mare had to give the whole field weight, she was also the best in the race on form and in the end, it was that and not the impost that decided the race. So, what does that mean going forward, well, it looks like once again a maiden three-year-old getting 5Lbs won’t be able to beat a stakes winning four-year-old just because of the weight being carried which is a huge plus for the game.
Anyway, onto this mare who sat back off a strong pace for the 12 furlongs and came through readily to score by just under a length. After winning the RGD last year she had been on the cusp of breaking into the big time, but she struggled to find another win at that level. Her daring come from behind style is totally reliant on other instructions and the race engine, so she has struggled to kick on from that win and she gained a much-deserved win today when everything worked in her favor.

2nd Ghost Barcelona Farms Van Dyke D

This is a very progressive and consistent mare who is improving nicely like these late bloomers can. Claimed for just $7.000 last year, I thought she may win this when she was in front on the turn, but I think the extra distance just found her out and she was beaten by a mare who loves the long trips. This was a good run, and I will be watching her when she goes back to nine furlongs.

3rd Cp Choosen Farley Mo Mentum Farm Dettori L

Got a long way back on the fast pace and whilst it is possible to make ground on the new engine it certainly happens a lot slower and if you are too far behind it is almost impossible. She posted some of the best splits coming home and this was a fairly remarkable effort when you consider her last race was a very fast five-and-a-half-furlong sprint. Such is HRP that the trip isn’t so important as it is in real life but what this does tell us is that she has many options going forward.

4th Lotta Carnival Oval Express Farms Vazquez R A

She has the form of a plodder and once again she couldn’t find the speed at the end of her race to go on and win. Still only the one win to her name she is one of those that can frustrate any trainer.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded