I Ain’t Bluffing Is Winner of La Brea Stakes--Honest

I Ain’t Bluffing will get a chance to do something she hasn’t done in her nine-race career in the El Encino Stakes on Jan. 18 at Santa Anita.

The 3-year-old daughter of Pine Bluff, who defeated eight opponents in the $165,900 La Brea Stakes on Saturday to win for the sixth time, has yet to win going a distance of ground on the dirt. She has won four sprints on the main track and has won twice going long on the turf.

Trainer Ron Ellis, who won the Grade I La Brea for the second time in three years, thinks the filly will be up to handling the 1 1/16-mile El Encino.

“She’s just growing up and getting better,” said Ellis, who won the 1995 La Brea with Exotic Wood. “Stretching her out is going to be to our advantage because I think the farther she goes, the better.”

Ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye for owners Jan, Mace and Samantha Siegel, I Ain’t Bluffing paid $5.80 as the 19-10 choice and beat Minister’s Melody, a 10-1 shot, by a length in 1:21 1/5 for the seven furlongs.

The final time was two-fifths of a second faster than Lord Grillo’s clocking in his upset of Silver Charm in the Malibu Stakes on Friday.

“What I liked best about her today was that she relaxed better than in any of her other races,” Delahoussaye said. “The way she’s relaxing now, I don’t think she’ll have any problem with added distances.”

Minister’s Melody, fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in her last start, finished three lengths clear of Praviana, a Chilean-bred filly trained by Mike Puype and owned by Gary Biszantz’s Cobra Farm, the same connections that have Lord Grillo. Corona Lake, the 7-2 second choice, was sixth and Alzora, the 4-1 third choice, was last.