Belle’s Flag Minds Her Manners and Wins Again

Belle’s Flag enjoyed her new surroundings in the saddling paddock Sunday, then enjoyed a track that was very kind to early speed all afternoon at Santa Anita.

Saddled in a custom-made enclosure three weeks after flipping in the paddock prior to her victory in the El Encino Stakes, the 4-year-old Avenue Of Flags filly lived up to her favorite’s status with a 1 3/4-length win over Chile Chatte in the $213,200 La Canada Stakes.

This was the sixth victory in eight starts for owner-breeder Ernest Auerbach’s Belle’s Flag, who is 1 1/2 lengths away from being undefeated. She lost by a half-length in the Bayakoa and was beaten by a length in the La Brea.

Built by Santa Anita at the request of trainer Darrell Vienna, the simple, three-sided wooden enclosure was available for use for the first time Sunday.

“It really helped her,” said Vienna, “and I think it’s going to assist other horses with some idiosyncrasies.

“This is the best she’s gone into a race out of the paddock. She was absolutely perfect today. She was also bad in the gate in her last race, so [starter] Tucker [Slender] and his crew did a good job. I appreciated that. We brought her to the gate six or seven times [since the El Encino].”

In a race devoid of early speed, the 6-5 choice was, surprisingly, joined by Chile Chatte on the lead, dealt with that one through 23 3/5, 46 3/5 and 1:10 splits, then kicked away in the final quarter-mile under Corey Nakatani to win the Grade II race in 1:48 1/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

After looking as if she was going to be beaten by Housa Dancer for second, Chile Chatte saved the place by three-quarters of a length. Listening, the 19-10 second choice, wilted to sixth after an untroubled trip.

“That new stall was not only good for her, but for the public,” said Nakatani of the winner. “They know they’re getting their money’s worth. [Vienna] must be doing a great job with her because she’s really getting better. She’s such a nice filly, she tries hard and she’s got natural speed, which makes her job a little easier when she will settle and relax.”

Eliminated at the start of the El Encino when she broke horribly, Chile Chatte ran the best she has ever run in graded company. Her previous best finish was a distant third in the 1995 Hollywood Starlet.

“She ran really awesome today,” said Alex Solis. “I thought she was going to run well [because of what happened last time]. She had a great trip, but the other filly was best today. I think she’ll improve a lot off this race.”

The beaten choice in the El Encino, Listening threw in the worst effort of her 12-race career and left jockey Chris McCarron puzzled.

“She’s never thrown in the towel in her life before, but she did today,” he said. “I don’t know why. She stopped at the three-eighths pole and never got to running again.”

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It wasn’t a good weekend at Gulfstream Park for last year’s Eclipse Award winners.

The day after 3-year-old champion Skip Away was beaten by Formal Gold in his 1997 debut in the Donn Handicap, 2-year-old filly champion Storm Song finished fifth in a field of six in the $100,000 Davona Dale Stakes.

Glitter Woman, trained by Shug McGaughey and ridden by Mike Smith, rolled to a nine-length victory as the 6-5 favorite, covering the 1 1/16 miles in a stakes-record 1:39 2/5. City Band was second and Southern Playgirl third.

Horse Racing Notes

Belle’s Flag earned $133,200 Sunday and has now made $416,909. . . . Jockeys Alex Solis and Gary Stevens both won twice Sunday. . . . Sharp Cat, who will be favored to win the $150,000 Las Virgenes Stakes on Sunday, worked five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 Sunday morning for trainer Wayne Lukas. . . . Formal Gold, who upset Skip Away in the Donn Handicap, may come to California for the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap on March 2, according to owner John Murphy.