Heavily favored Switch registered a stakes record time in winning the $250,000 La Brea Stakes (gr. I) on the new dirt track at Santa Anita Dec. 26.
Switch, ridden to her first grade I victory by Joel Rosario for trainer John Sadler and owner C R K Stable, ran seven furlongs in 1:20.33, bettering the La Brea dirt mark set by Mamselle Bebette in 1993 of 1:20.45.
The track record for seven furlongs on dirt of 1:20 flat was established by Spectacular Bid on Jan. 5, 1980.
The new surface, after three years of running on synthetics, produced hot times on its first day. In the fourth race, 2-year-old maiden The Factor ran six furlongs in 1:06.98 to to break the old dirt track mark of 1:07.20 set by Sunny Blossom on Dec. 30, 1989.
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