J. Paul Reddam, Suarez Racing Inc. & Mark Schlesinger’s SHARP LISA
(Dixieland Band) earned her first win of the year with a gate-to-wire victory in
Saturday’s $200,000
Santa
Barbara H. (G2) at Santa Anita. The win wasn’t easy, though, as she had to
battle all the way to the wire under Corey Nakatani as the 4-1 second choice.
Breaking on top, Sharp Lisa set splits of :24 3/5, :49 3/5 and 1:15 with
Theater R. N. (Theatrical [Ire]) not far off her flank to the outside. Moving
into the turn, that rival started backing up but was immediately replaced by
Eternal Melody (NZ) (Shinko King), who gave the winner all she could handle.
Running nip and tuck to the line, a nose was all that separated the two game
fillies at the line, with the Doug O’Neill-trained Sharp Lisa finishing 1 1/4
miles on the firm turf in 2:02.
“This filly is so gutsy and has so much heart and she showed it today,”
O’Neill said. “I’m just glad we hit the wire at the right moment. I don’t think
we had the lead right before or right after the wire.”
Paying out $10.40, $5 and $5.20, Sharp Lisa started the $1 exotics of $24.40
(exacta) and $219.30 (trifecta). Eternal Melody was game in defeat, returning
$5.80 and $5.20 at 6-1, while Cissy (Arg) (Acceptable) finished another 2 1/2
lengths back in third to give $8.20 as the 25-1 longshot. Argentina (Ire)
(Sadler’s Wells), the 3-5 favorite, was another nose back in fourth and followed
by Aubonne (Ger) (Monsun) and Theater R. N. Hallowed Dream (Ire) (Alhaarth) was
scratched.
Sharp Lisa posted her first win in this spot since taking the Las Virgenes S.
(G1) last year at Santa Anita. She also owns a score in the Santa Ynez S. (G2)
and placings in the Hollywood Starlet S. (G1), Alcibiades S. (G2) and this
season’s La Canada S. (G2). The four-year-old chestnut miss was making just her
second turf start here after running three parts of a length back in fourth in
the Santa Ana H. (G2) prior to this one, and now boasts a 12-4-2-1 career mark
with $597,100 in lifetime earnings.
Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Sharp Lisa is the most successful foal out
of Winter’s Gone (Dynaformer), who has an unraced sophomore colt named Sprint at
Last and an unraced juvenile filly called Sharp Susan (Touch Gold). The Santa
Barbara winner was purchased for $50,000 at the 2003 Keeneland September
Yearling Sale.