Trainer Gaines rides hot streak at Santa Anita meet
Mike Mitchell, John Sadler, Doug O’Neill and Bobby Frankel have won more races, but no trainer is finishing the Santa Anita winter-spring meet hotter than Carla Gaines.
Gaines, whose 20 victories in Arcadia leave her fifth in the standings, has won with 11 of her last 15 starters after Tiz Elemental and Tiz A Blend won consecutive stakes races Sunday at Santa Anita.
About 30 minutes after Tiz Elemental won the $150,000 Las Flores Handicap by a neck as the 8-5 favorite, older sister Tiz A Blend got the money at 5-1 in the $100,000 Valentine Dancer Handicap.
The daughters of Cee’s Tizzy and out of the mare Blending Element, Tiz Elemental and Tiz A Blend are both owned by breeder Warren Williamson, who also campaigns with Gaines the multiple stakes winning mare Nashoba’s Key.
The victory in the Grade III was the fourth in a row for Tiz Elemental, who outfinished 19-10 second choice Glorified and four others.
Both winners were ridden by Victor Espinoza, who also won a pair of stakes on the Santa Anita Derby undercard Saturday.
“I can’t recall ever having a run like this,” said Gaines, referring to her torrid streak, “but I would like to keep it up.”
Bettors who were hoping to make some capital with Gaines will have to wait until at least Thursday, because she has no starters on today’s card at Santa Anita.
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Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin pulled another Keeneland stakes upset Sunday, winning the $110,300 Lafayette with Keep Laughing.
Some 24 hours after Little Belle’s surprise in the $500,000 Ashland, Keep Laughing, a maiden winner a month earlier at Gulfstream Park, edged Hatta Fort by a nose under jockey John Velazquez.
Owned by Vision Racing LLC, the 3-year-old Distorted Humor colt may have earned himself a start in the Preakness on May 17 at Pimlico after the game victory in 1:22.26 for the seven furlongs.
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Colonel John, who exited his victory in the Santa Anita Derby in good shape, will probably work twice locally, according to trainer Eoin Harty, before heading to Churchill Downs about 12 days before the Kentucky Derby on May 3.
There is a possibility Colonel John could be joined in Louisville by some of those who finished behind him Saturday. Runner-up Bob Black Jack, the California-bred trained by Jim Kasparoff for his brother Tim and Jeff Harmon, could try the Derby, as well as Yankee Bravo, who finished fourth, and El Gato Malo, who disappointed when fifth as the 9-5 favorite.
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Eight Belles, the 1-2 favorite, won for the fourth time in a row and the fifth time in nine starts, taking the $250,000 Fantasy over a stubborn Alina at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.
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