This Time, It’s Spain Who Reigns With La Canada Win

Should things hold true to form, Chilukki figures to get the best of Spain the next time they race against each other.

The two 4-year-old fillies have established a pattern of exchanging decisions, with Spain winning the $200,000 La Canada Stakes Sunday by two lengths over Chilukki in a light rain.

This gave Spain--a daughter of Thunder Gulch owned by Prince Ahmed Salman’s Thoroughbred Corporation and trained by Wayne Lukas--her second victory in three races with Chilukki at the current Santa Anita meet.

On Dec. 30, Spain won the La Brea Stakes by three-quarters of a length while Chilukki finished fourth as the 7-10 favorite. Then on Jan. 21, Chilukki turned the tables in the El Encino Stakes, taking advantage of a very slow pace to win by 2 1/2 lengths over Spain, who was the 3-5 choice.

Even though the fractions were moderate in the Grade II La Canada on Sunday, Chilukki was never on the early lead. High Walden, making her first start on dirt, had the lead after a 23 3/5 opening quarter and 47 4/5 half-mile, then was quickly passed by Spain, who got first run, and Chilukki.

In the final furlong, Spain--the 8-5 second choice ridden by Victor Espinoza--drew away from 9-10 favorite Chilukki, for her seventh win in 21 starts. She completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49 3/5.

“There was different strategy today from the El Encino,” said Lukas after his third La Canada victory, but first since Family Style in 1987. “We talked about it and I told Victor I thought his inexperience cost us the last race. . . . In graded stakes, you’ve got to do what these horses do best and we didn’t do that last time.

“This time, I think we did. I told Victor I wanted him to bounce away from the gate and get that first quarter in around 23 [seconds] and get her into the race. I was glad to see him start picking up the marbles over there on the far turn. I didn’t want to wait until they were all even across the stretch. Once [Espinoza] made his move, I felt pretty comfortable.”

Lukas had every reason to feel confident. Spain had won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff--run at the same distance as the La Canada--while Chilukki, despite her win in the El Encino, was still generally believed to be at her best as a sprinter. Especially when she does not have the early lead going two turns.

“I think she’s very, very good at the distance and I think it’s a stretch for some of the others,” said Lukas. “We felt the real Spain was going to show up today and I thought we gave the El Encino away.”

Gary Stevens, who has now ridden Chilukki in her last four starts, didn’t offer any excuses for the runner-up, who finished 2 1/2 lengths clear of Letter Of Intent, the longest shot in the field at 22-1. Brianda and High Walden completed the order of finish.

“I just wanted to make her comfortable, the same as I did last time,” said Stevens. “I didn’t care if I was on the lead or not in the El Encino. She gets in a steady rhythm, gets comfortable.

“She was very relaxed. We really picked up the pace at the half-mile pole. It turned into kind of a match race--until the eighth pole. Spain just pulled away from us.”

Lukas indicated the $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap on March 10 is likely the next race for Spain. Surfside, the top 4-year-old filly in the Lukas barn and the Eclipse Award winner as the nation’s champion 3-year-old filly in 2001, is scheduled to make her second start of the year in Sunday’s $200,000 Santa Maria Handicap.

However, the chances of Spain and Surfside meeting in the Santa Margarita are small, according to Lukas.

Notes

There is a Pick Six carryover for Wednesday of $163,477. . . . Besides Surfside, the other fillies and mares being considered for the Santa Maria, which is a Grade I, are Feverish, Critikola, Gourmet Girl, Lovellon, Follow The Money and Cookin Vickie. . . . Golden Ballet, who won the Las Virgenes Stakes in her two-turn debut on Saturday, will make her next start in the $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks on March 10.