Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s homebred Lull tracked the pace set by Almost Carla early in Sunday’s $102,760 Autumn Miss Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park before taking command in the lane and drawing off for a 3 1/4-length victory.
With jockey Flavien Prat aboard, the Christophe Clement trainee was sent off the 2-1 favorite against 12 rivals and returned $6.40 for finishing a mile on the firm turf in 1:32.66.
“I didn’t think we were going that quickly,” Prat said. “I wouldn’t say that we were walking but I didn’t think we were going fast. I guess she has a lot of speed because I was just cruising around and trying to keep her relaxed.
“Down the backside she relaxed very well and I was just in a gallop. I thought we were at :45 and when I asked her to go, she responded well.”
“We didn’t have a good draw, but Flavien managed to get a good position going into the first turn,” assistant trainer Christophe Lorieul said. “We would have preferred to have her covered up, but she was second, so it was okay. The fractions were actually reasonable and she was able to overcome everything and prevail.”
It was a four-horse photo for second, with Chocolate Coated getting her head in front of Storm the Hill on the wire. It was another neck back to Tapped, who had a head to spare on Kathy’s Song in fifth.
Completing the order of finish were Spin Me a Kiss, Meadowsweet, Almost Carla, Beautiful Becca, Sandy’s Surprise, Reverse, Domestic Vintage and Miss Southern Miss.
Lull earned her first graded score in this spot, adding it to wins in last year’s Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Stakes and this season’s Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint Stakes. The War Front sophomore also boasts placings in the San Clemente Handicap (G2) and Franklin County Stakes (G3), and now shows an 11-4-3-1, $668,057 career record.
Bred in Kentucky, Lull is out of the Tiznow mare Quiet Now, who is a half-sister to Horse of the Year Saint Liam as well as the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) hopeful Gun Runner.
