Nancy A. Vanier and Cartwright Thoroughbreds V LLC’s Streamline took full advantage of 1-5 favorite Terra Promessa’s terrible trip in Saturday’s $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park, grabbing command rounding the turn and leading the way home in the 1 1/16-mile contest to score by one length on the wire.
Jockey Chris Landeros angled Streamline over from her far outside post and the dark bay mare took up a pressing spot just outside of She Mabee Wild. That mare also came in not long after the start, tightening things up for Terra Promessa, who steadied when jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. pulled her back off the leader’s hooves rounding the first bend.
She Mabee Wild led the way through the half-mile in :23.71 and :47.41 with Streamline running beside and Terra Promessa fighting a very short rein in behind. Eskenformoney kept pace on the favorite’s outside, boxing her in along the rail.
Entering the final turn, Streamline drew even and then passed She Mabee Wild to take over heading into the stretch. Meanwhile, Terra Promessa once again found herself in tight quarters and was forced to take up when trying to angle out only to find the way blocked first by Eskenformoney and then the rallying Power of Snunner.
Streamline continued motoring in the lane to cross under the wire in 1:43.67 on the fast Oaklawn dirt. Sent off the 12-1 third choice, the Brian Williamson trainee returned $26.20 for the win.
Eskenformoney, the near 4-1 second choice, grabbed the runner-up spot by a half-length over 31-1 Tiger Moth, who in turn had a length to spare on 15-1 Power of Snunner. After the rough trip, Terra Promessa had nothing left in the stretch and finished fifth, followed under the wire by Miss Mo Kelly and She Mabee Wild.
Streamline earned her first win here since capturing the 2016 Pippin Stakes. That triumph capped off a three-race win streak but the dark bay daughter of Straight Line was unable to continue it when a half-length second next out in the Bayakoa Stakes (G3). She would go on to finish third by three parts of a length in the Azeri and second in the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) after leading in the stretch.
Streamline took the summer off, not reappearing in competition until finishing third against allowance/optional claiming rivals while sprinting six furlongs at Churchill Downs on November 5. She made just one more start in 2016, returning less than three weeks later to fill the runner-up spot in the Falls City Handicap (G2) under the Twin Spires.
After finishing third to Terra Promessa in both the Pippin Stakes and Bayakoa Stakes to open her five-year-old campaign, Streamline finally got the best of that rival to improve her career record to 17-7-3-6, $601,566 here.
Bred in Illinois by Nancy Vanier, Streamline is out of the stakes-winning Sahm mare Love Handles. She comes from the same female family as Grade 1 winner Western Playboy and, farther back, English champion miler and top sire Habitat.
AZERI QUOTES
Brian Williamson, trainer Streamline, winner
“’Break good and don’t let the favorite get loose on the lead’ were my instructions. She broke great. Looked like the favorite didn’t break as good and was kind of boxed in. I thought (jockey) Chris (Landeros) rode her great. If she comes back good and checks out good, we’re definitely running in the Apple Blossom ([G1] on April 14).”
Chris Landeros, jockey Streamline, winner
“I had a great trip. The outside post was kind of in our favor today. I thought (jockey) Irad (Ortiz Jr. on Terra Promessa) was going to go a little bit with his horse. Terra Promessa had the inside and we took advantage of it.
“(Streamline) runs hard every time. She deserves a chance every single race. She’s little but she’s so game. Very, very game mare. I just knew she’d give me 110 percent every time. She’s so honest every race.
Javier Castellano, jockey Eskenformoney, second
“Had a good trip, but that’s where I expected to be. I didn’t want to be too far out of it today. With that kind of horse you have to be involved in the race, and she did. She gave me good run and the speed carried all the way. I thought the horse was going to come back to me a little bit.
“I give credit to the winner. I believed I am second best today, because the winner never came back to me. Every time I asked my horse she responded very well, we were just second best today. I am very proud for the filly and the way she ran.”
Brad Cox, trainer Tiger Moth, third
“It was good. I was very happy with it. (Jockey) Jose (Ortiz) did a good job letting her settle into the race. Finished up well. We’ll see what happens out of this, maybe go the Apple Blossom.”
Jose Ortiz, jockey Tiger Moth, third
“She ran very well. Setup nice for me and going into the first turn she relaxed well. She made a run turning for home and she was coming on late. She was rallying on late in the race and it was a good race for her.”
Steve Asmussen, trainer Terra Promessa, fifth
“That was a debacle. You’ve got to get along with her, you just do. Can’t fight with her. She knows who she wants to be, and that was not good.”
Irad Ortiz Jr., jockey Terra Promessa, fifth
“She just didn’t show up.”
