Prize Exhibit zooms from last to first in San Clemente

DEL MAR, Calif. – Prize Exhibit has a mind of her own, but when she puts her mind to running, you best stand back. Prize Exhibit had laser-like focus on Sunday at Del Mar, when she ran her best race since being imported to this country with a last-to-first rally to take the Grade 2, $200,250 San Clemente Handicap for 3-year-old fillies on turf.

Prize Exhibit ($9.20) trailed the six-horse field for the first six furlongs of the one-mile race, but she flew home under jockey Santiago Gonzalez to roar past favored Sunset Glow and kick clear to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Sunset Glow, the 8-5 favorite, held on for second, three-quarters of a length in front of Paulina’s Love. Spirit of Xian, the early pacesetter, faded to fourth, beating only Screaming Skylar and Her Emmynency, who ran last as the 5-2 second choice.

The San Clemente remained on turf, though two other grass races were moved to the main track as rain fell at Del Mar for the second straight day. Over a course rated “good,” Prize Exhibit was timed in 1:36.05, and she made up five lengths in a final-quarter mile that took 24.29 seconds, meaning her come-home time was about 23.45. “She’s a quirky filly,” said Jim Cassidy, who trains Prize Exhibit for Deron Pearson’s DP Racing. “In her last race, I told Santiago to lay third or fourth, and she was out the back door. He had no choice. She has a mind of her own.”

Prize Exhibit won her last race, the Grade 3 Senorita at Santa Anita, rallying from last, and the same trip unfolded in the San Clemente. “Today she settled and had a really nice kick,” Cassidy said. Prize Exhibit has now won 5 of 15 starts, and is 3 for 6 for Cassidy. She was acquired by Pearson last fall just prior to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, in which she ran fourth after a wide, troubled trip. She then was transferred to Cassidy from Jamie Osborne, which had been the plan all along. Now, the plan, Cassidy said, is to shoot for a Grade 1 win in the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks on Aug. 15.