Include Me Out escaped the shadow of Grade I winning stablemate
Teddy’s Promise Sunday with a burst around the far turn that expanded
into a dominant 4 ¼ -length upset in Santa Anita’s 38th running of the
Grade II, $150,000 La Canada Stakes for 4-year-old fillies at 1 1/16
miles.
Sent off at odds of 8-1 after futilely chasing Teddy’s Promise
in the Grade I La Brea Stakes at seven furlongs on Dec. 31, Jay Em Ess
Stable’s Include Me Out willingly responded to her first assignment
around two turns following six sprint races.
Jockey Joe Talamo stepped on the accelerator nearing completion
of the backstretch run, and the daughter of Include virtually exploded
on the extreme outside. She was in front by the time the field of six
straightened into the stretch. Include Me Out proceeded to pour it on.
She crossed the finish line in 1:41.89. Great Hot, the 5-2
second-choice ridden by Chantal Sutherland, checked in a distant second,
three-quarters-of-a-length ahead of 17-10 favorite Tiz Flirtatious and
jockey Joel Rosario.
Talamo said that after the riders of Tiz Flirtatious and
third-choice Capital Plan, Rafael Bejarano, made early moves, “I just
had to ease back.” The turn of events was opportune. “After that, she
just ran great,” Talamo continued. He singled out trainer Ron Ellis.
“Ron has done a great job with her coming back after the La Brea,” he
said. “She was so fresh and ready today, and full of run.”
“She got in behind horses,” Ellis said in recalling his filly’s
fifth-place finish in the La Brea. “But I think being by Include, she
was dying to go two turns, and it’s been kind of a process getting her
up to it. She fired today, that’s for sure.
“I thought she looked great the whole race. She was very
relaxed, and with the pace scenario, I thought Joe had her in a perfect
spot. She just looked comfortable all the way. She’s just been learning
coming up to this, but pedigree-wise she wanted to go two turns. I felt
good about it.”
Purchased for $150,000 at sale in July of 2009, Include Me Out
earned $90,000 while rewarding her backers at $19, $6.40 and $3.40.
Great Hot paid $3.60 and $2.40. Tiz Flirtatious returned $2.60. Include
Me Out’s total earnings became $183,600 from a 3-2-0 record in seven
starts.
Ellis and Samantha Siegel, who runs Jay Em Ess Stable, will
endeavor to keep their pair of standout 4-year-old fillies apart, at
least, for a while. Teddy’s Promise is ticketed to come back in next
Saturday’s Grade I, $300,000 Santa Monica Stakes at seven furlongs.
Marty Jones, who trains Tiz Flirtatious, said his filly
encountered a few problems, but it probably was not of great
consequence. “Joel (Rosario) had to get her running a little bit to try
and get position,” he said, “but she got a little rank. That might have
affected her chance to win, but the way the winner ran, I don’t know if
anybody was going to beat her today. That filly ran a really good race.”