Windsharp Is Sharpest in Victory

This has been a meeting of firsts for Windsharp at Santa Anita.

A little more than a month after she became the first female horse to win the San Luis Obispo, the 5-year-old mare Sunday became the first female to win the $261,900 San Luis Rey Stakes.

In a race in which pacesetter Urgent Request was disqualified from fourth and placed sixth for causing interference in the stretch, Windsharp, the 2-1 second choice, rallied wide to edge Wandesta, the other mare in the field of seven, by a neck in 2:27 4/5 for the 1 1/2 miles on turf.

Providing trainer Wally Dollase with his eighth stakes victory of the season and owners Richard and Martha Stephen their sixth, Windsharp was last with a quarter of a mile to run, but got up under Eddie Delahoussaye for her third victory of the meeting. She also won the Reloy on Dec. 29.

“I’ve never had a horse with the stamina that this mare has,” said Dollase, who purchased Windsharp in France for a reported $165,000 last year. “She stressed herself enough [winning the San Luis Obispo on Feb. 19] that she came down with a temperature. We were lucky enough to catch it early and correct it.

“She bounced back incredible. She was training so well the last two weeks that she actually wanted to do more than I wanted her to do--that was the sign that she was in good shape.”

Beaten by three-quarters of a length by Windsharp in the San Luis Obispo, Wandesta did not have a clear trip along the inside as the 2-1 favorite, and the outcome might have been different Sunday had she gotten through cleanly.

Jockey Chris McCarron thought Silver Wizard, who finished third, a little more than two lengths behind Wandesta, also could have been right there if not bothered by Urgent Request. The latter and jockey Chris Antley first tried to tighten things up on Wandesta, then swerved out into a few others.

“I thought maybe we should have won it,” said McCarron. “[Urgent Request] forced me into [Flying Marfa] and that slowed me down and I couldn’t get my momentum going. It was just bad luck and I do think it could have cost me the race.”

Horse Racing Notes

Ski Dancer overcame traffic to get up and beat Klassy Kim by a nose in the $104,300 Las Cienegas Handicap. Igotrhythm was third and 6-5 favorite Dirca was fourth. . . . The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Assn. will hold a seminar for new and prospective horse owners Saturday at Santa Anita. Speakers at the 8 a.m. seminar will include owners Richard and Martha Stephen and trainers Jenine Sahadi and Sandy Shulman. For more information, contact Ann Stilz of the TOBA at 606-276-2291. . . . Wagering will begin at Santa Anita at 6:15 Wednesday morning for the Dubai World Cup, featuring Cigar. The race will be simulcast live at Santa Anita and Fairplex Park in Pomona. . . . Halo Sunshine, winner of the Golden State Derby at Bay Meadows on Saturday, will return in the $500,000 Blue Grass Stakes on April 13 at Keeneland.