Home Sweet Aspen wins Santa Anita feature
January 28, 2012ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) - Home Sweet Aspen edged Sugarinthemorning by a neck in the $300,000 Santa Monica Stakes for older fillies and mares at Santa Anita on Saturday, highlighting the Sunshine Millions card featuring stakes races exclusively for California-breds.
Ridden by Joel Rosario, Home Sweet Aspen ran seven furlongs in 1:21.42 and paid $13.60, $6.80 and $4.40.
Sugarinthemorning returned $5 and $3.60, while She's Cheeky was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $5 to show.
The victory, worth $180,000, increased Home Sweet Aspen's career earnings to $355,822 with her first graded stakes win. Trainer John Sadler won the race for the second year in a row. Home Sweet Aspen was bred by diet maven Jenny Craig and her late husband Sid.
In the $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, Willa B Awesome won by 3 1/2 lengths under Martin Pedroza. At 11-1 odds, she was the longest shot in the field after morning-line favorite Eden Moon became ill.
Willa B Awesome ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.73 and paid $24.20 to win. Killer Graces was second and Lady of Shamrock was third in front of 30,514.
Compari won the $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith. Compari ran 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course in 1:12.02 and paid $4 to win as the even-money favorite.
Ain't No Other was second and Red Defense finished third.
Holladay Road won the $100,000 Crystal Water Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths under Rafael Bejarano. The 7-year-old gelding ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.25 and paid $6.60 to win.
Macho Dorado was second and Spud Spivens third.
In the $100,000 Valentine Dancer for fillies and mares, Chokecherymary won by a half-length over California Nectar. Chokecherymary ran a mile on the turf in 1:34.42 and paid $18.80. Secret Cove was third.