Photo: Hollywood Park
Saint
Isabelle’s come-from-behind win in the $73,100 Time To Leave Stakes Sunday at Hollywood Park capped a memorable day for Little
Red Feather Racing.
An
ownership syndicate managed by Gary Fenton and Billy Koch, Little Red Feather
went 3-for-3 with horses owned in different partnerships.
Before
Saint Isabelle completed the triple, Little Red Feather had won the second race
with Russian River and the fourth with Achak.
Trained
by Mike Puype, Saint Isabelle, a 4-year-old daughter of Saint Liam and the
Forty Niner mare Fortyniner Fever, was tucked in behind the contested early
pace, swung out for clear sailing and went on to defeat Irish Gypsy and five
others.
The
one length victory was the fourth in nine starts for Saint Isabelle, who was
ridden by Rafael Bejarano. A dark bay bred in Kentucky, she covered the five furlongs over
Cushion Track in 57.09. She increased her earnings to $173,580.
Now
2-for-3 at Hollywod Park, Saint Isabelle, who is also owned by Paul Chacon,
returned $6.40, $3.40 and $2.60 as the 2-1 second choice.
“The
trainer told me he didn’t want me to send her to the lead,’’ said Bejarano.
“The last time she was on the lead, but today it was a completely different
kind of race. She was real relaxed behind the leaders…it was part of the plan.
“She
had been working really well for this and I thought she would improve a lot. I
saw everybody sending so I knew it would be good for me.’’
Making
her first start since checking in second behind Ultra Blend in a stakes at
Sacramento last July 17, Irish Gypsy finished well to complete the exacta, a
half-length in front of Arizona invader Shakenwithanolive. Irish Gypsy paid
$3.60 and $2.60.
The
show price on Shakenwithanolive, who gained the lead briefly in the stretch,
was $3.20.
Completing
the order of finish were Holding Her Ground, Candy’s Pleasure, Separate Forest, the 2-1 favorite who was making
her synthetic surface debut, and Dawnie Macho.