Agave Racing Stable and Little Red Feather Racing’s Fault rallied wide in the stretch of Saturday’s $401,725 Santa Margarita Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park and easily drew off under jockey Geovanni Franco to post a 6 1/2-length victory.
Fault found herself widest of all rounding the first turn and settled well off the rail on the backstretch as Mended and Turkish Tabby duked it out on the front end through splits of :22.92, :46.79 and 1:11.11. The top pair continued battling nearing the final bend, but the rest of the field was closing fast, including Fault.
Continuing her wide path around the second turn, the Blame four-year-old collared Mended at the head of the stretch and drew off, extending her margin with every stride to finish 1 1/8 miles over the fast main track in 1:50.58.
Mended was best of the rest, 2 1/4 lengths in front of Mopotism, who nosed out La Force for third on the wire. Majestic Heat followed another four lengths behind in fifth and completing the order of finish were Turkish Tabby, Dalsaros, Eccentric Spinster, Mistressofthenight and Bishop’s Pond.
Sent off the 7-2 second favorite in the 10-distaffer field, Fault paid $9 for her first stakes win on dirt. This was only the third start on the main track for the bay filly, who scored in the Buena Vista Stakes (G2) over Santa Anita’s turf last out on February 17. She also captured the Pucker Up Stakes (G3) on Arlington Park’s grass last year and placed in the Sands Point Stakes (G2) and TaWee Stakes on the turf courses at Belmont Park and Indiana Grand, respectively.
Fault began her career on the turf at Fair Grounds before switching to the main track one race later to wire her maiden by 1 1/2 lengths. A well-beaten fourth next out, the filly subsequently switched to the grass, where she was claimed from Al Stall Jr.’s barn two races later and joined Michelle Lovell’s shedrow last May.
Bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farm, Fault switched to conditioner Phil D’Amato after running fourth in the Pago Hop Stakes at Fair Grounds to close out her sophomore campaign on December 30. She then captured the Buena Vista, and exits this contest with a 15-5-3-2, $558,795, career record.
Fault is out of the stakes-winning Horse Chestnut mare Charming N Lovable, making her a half-sister to Grade 3 runner-up Betweenhereandcool and stakes-placed Congenial. Charming N Lovable is herself a half-sibling to Grade 2 victor Mananan McLir, Grade 3-placed stakes winner Big Sur and the dam of Grade 2 vixen Fioretti.
This is the female family of champions Awesome Feather, Quill and Run the Gantlet, just to name three.
SANTA MARGARITA QUOTES
Giovanni Franco, jockey Fault, winner
“A lot of jockeys dream to win a Grade 1…this means a lot. We know we have a nice filly and I was just hoping she would run well on the dirt. Coming into the far turn, I had a lot of filly and when I asked her to run, I didn’t want to get her stopped. A lot of jockeys dream about coming to Santa Anita and winning races and we are doing it. It’s a great feeling.”
Ricardo Gonzalez, jockey Mended, second
“She’s got a lot of heart, she tries so hard. They pushed her early, but she ran hard the whole way. I’m really proud of the way she ran.”
Phil D’Amato, trainer Fault, winner
“Geovanni (Franco) rode a great race. He got her in a good position on the backside and got her in the clear at the three-eighths pole, turned her loose, and I kind of thought right then, this filly can run on the dirt, for sure, and she just didn’t stop.
“We’ll see (what’s next). We’ll take a step back, knowing she can run on both surfaces now, which makes her more dangerous, but this was a very impressive Grade 1 win and it helps her out tremendously down the road (as a broodmare).”
Mark Martinez of Agave Racing, co-owner Fault, winner
“I didn’t know when I picked her out that she’d be a Grade 1 winner, but Dave Carman did, who helped me pick her out. That was one heck of a race wasn’t it?
“Dave Carman was actually the guy that brought me into horse racing about 15 years ago. We’re still friends and he always helps me pick out my claims. He tells me when I’m crazy and tells me when I’m on. He’s a great guy and he was here today.
“Winning a Grade 1 on the dirt does a lot for residual value but it also does a lot for those of us that invested and believed in her. And, of course a huge thank you to Billy (Koch) and his team who put some investors on her and obviously they’re very pleased.
“She had been working really well on the dirt at Fair Grounds with the trainer that took great care of her off the claim (in May 2017), Michelle Lovell. When I started to see her work in :47’s and :48’s I knew she had something. When I brought her over I had a talk with Billy and Phil (D’Amato) and said can we please keep it in mind.
“We knew she liked the dirt and everyone reported on that which is why she was off at 7-2. Billy and I got together on it and this is where we wanted to go. Phil is always supportive and this is where we landed.
“Just like with her last win, we’ll let the magician decide what’s next.”
Billy Koch of Little Red Feather Racing, co-owner Fault, winner
“Mark (Martinez) sent me about a six page doctorate about how she can run on dirt and how she can run on turf and how he thought she’s only going to get better. He said he thought Phil (D’Amato) could do a great job with her.
“I said, ‘yes.’
“The second she came out here she was doing everything right. She trains so well, is so healthy and happy and you can see it. We put a lot of faith in Mark Martinez. He’s one of the sharpest guys in the game and when he came to us we really jumped at the opportunity to work together. To win a Grade 1…these don’t come around all that often. We know people will say Unique Bella wasn’t in there or anybody else, but they can’t take anything away from her. She did everything she was supposed to do today. I’m so thankful and blessed for all our partners that joined us on this, especially Mark.”
One race before the Santa Margarita, River Boyne rallied three wide in the stretch of the $200,690 Pasadena Stakes under jockey Joel Rosario to secure the one-length victory as the 7-5 favorite.
Campaigned by Red Baron’s Barn LLC and Rancho Temescal LLC, the Irish-bred sophomore ran a mile on the good turf in 1:35.92.
River Boyne made his first three starts in his native Ireland and England before shipping stateside and joining trainer Jeff Mullins’ shedrow. The Dandy Man colt broke his maiden in his second start for Mullins on December 26 and has gone two-for-two since.
River Boyne improved his overall record to read 7-3-2-0 and has banked $203,520 lifetime.
Miss Sunset kicked off the stakes action at Santa Anita on Saturday, effortlessly wiring the $100,345 Irish O’Brien Stakes by seven lengths as the 4-5 favorite.
With Mike Smith aboard, the Into Mischief four-year-old earned her second straight stakes score when finishing about 6 1/2 furlongs on the good downhill turf in 1:16.30. The bay miss is trained by Jeff Bonde for Alan P. Klein and Philip Lebherz.
Winner of the Raven Run Stakes (G2) at Keeneland last fall, Miss Sunset now boasts a 15-9-1-2 career mark, including eight stakes triumphs, to go along with $738,735 in lifetime earnings.
