Maysam sprinted right to lead and held off Supa Speed in the stretch for a nose victory in the $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita on Sunday, capping off a big weekend of Kentucky Oaks (G1) point qualifiers.
Trained by Bob Baffert, the 3-year-old Game winner filly moved on to the road to the Oaks with 25 qualifying points for ninth place on the leaderboard.
Due to a four-horse field – Cipriani was scratched – the usual allotment of 50-25-15-10-5 points to the top five finishers was reduced and redistributed as per the rules for qualifying.
Maysam, sixth in her second start in the Sunland Park Oaks after acting up in the starting gate, behaved much better in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Ysabel. Ridden by Juan Hernandez, the filly left from post four and went right to the lead without missing a beat.
She held the lead all the way around the track with Supa Speed close behind, and as the two dueled in the stretch it was Maysam who finished with her nose in front.
“‘We really enjoyed her performance today. We had a little difficulty at the gate in Sunland Park (13 days ago), but that’s not her,’’ Baffert’s assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes said. “We brought her back, made a few corrections and hopefully figured her out. She ran very well today.”
Supa Speed earned 12.5 points for second to move to No. 25 on the Oaks leaderboard, while Howin was third and Just as Fancy fourth.
Maysam was the 3-2 second choice behind even-money Supa Speed and returned $5 for a $2 win bet.
“It was really close,” Hernandez said. “We were fighting from the quarter pole to the wire, but my filly put her nose in front.”
On Saturday, Drexel Hill ($12) won the Busher Stakes at Aqueduct and The Queens M G ($5.80) beat La Cara by 2 ¾ lengths in the Davona Dale Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park. Each winner earned 50 Oaks points in their races, which awarded 50-25-15-10-5 to the top five finishers.
Handicappers at usracing.com had a big weekend, selecting winners of the San Felipe (Journalism), the Busher (Drexel Hill), the Davona Dale (The Queens M G), and the Santa Anita Handicap (Locked). In addition, The Professor nailed the Fountain of Youth Stakes with a $5 exacta payoff of $76.60 (Sovereignty and River Thames).
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
