Golden Ballet, Lazy Slusan Make Strong Statements

It was a banner day for California-breds Saturday at Santa Anita.

Horses from the state won six of the nine races, including the two big prizes.

Lazy Slusan, a 6-year-old mare who was claimed for $62,500 last summer at Del Mar by trainer John Dolan for himself and I.S. Longo, overtook 17-10 favorite Spain in the final yards to win the $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap.

Two races after Lazy Slusan’s 12-1 surprise, Golden Ballet, the 9-10 favorite, set fast fractions, repelled a strong challenge from 13-1 shot Flute and went on to win the $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks.

Trained by Jenine Sahadi for Barry Irwin and Jeff Siegel’s Team Valor and Bill Heiligbrodt, Golden Ballet has now won five in a row, including back-to-back Grade I’s. Last month, in her first race around two turns, she won the Las Virgenes Stakes.

Becoming the first Cal-bred to win the Oaks since Fran’s Valentine in 1985, Golden Ballet, a daughter of Moscow Ballet, set 22 1/5, 45 3/5 and 1:10 2/5 splits, and looked to be in trouble when headed briefly by Flute at the head of the stretch.

However, she and Chris McCarron were far from finished. In fact, she improved her position and went on to win by a length in 1:41 4/5 for the 1 1/16 miles.

“I’m completely impressed,” Sahadi said. “She’s a gutty thing, that’s for sure. I thought it was some kind of performance to go a half in 45 and change and do what she did. It was pretty awesome.

“I have to take my hat off to [track superintendent] Steve Wood because he’s done a phenomenal job with all the weather we’ve had. He has been very gracious assuring me the track would be safe and I have to thank everybody at my barn. I couldn’t do this without them.”

A decision on what will be next for Golden Ballet should be made in the coming week, according to Irwin, the president of Team Valor.

Afterward, Irwin’s comments seemed to indicate a date with the boys in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby probably won’t be on the filly’s agenda.

“We’re not looking at anything specific right now,” said Irwin. “This race has to be a killer. She went into this race a little light and she’s had three pretty fast races, so we’re going to come up with something that won’t tax her totally.

“We haven’t ruled anything out. We might even think about running against the colts if the right opportunity came up.”

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Lazy Slusan’s upset in the Santa Margarita was her fifth victory in eight starts since she joined the Dolan barn and she became the first Cal-bred winner of the Grade I since Southern Truce in 1993.

With David Flores aboard, the daughter of Slewvescent defeated Spain by a half-length in 1:48 2/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

“When I claimed her, I liked the fact she was worth about what I was paying for her as a broodmare,” said Dolan, who collected his first Grade I victory. “I figured if she could make some money racing, that’s great.

“I really wasn’t expecting to win today, but I thought she’d run a good race.”

Notes

Ciro, an invader from Florida for trainer Christophe Clement, is the 7-5 favorite against nine rivals in the $250,000 San Luis Rey Handicap today at Santa Anita. A Grade II, the San Luis Rey is run at 1 1/2 miles on the turf. Ciro, a son of Woodman, won a pair of graded stakes last year and drew the rail. He will be ridden by Corey Nakatani. . . . Santa Anita will hold its fourth annual International Jockey Challenge today. The four riders comprising Team Europe are Frankie Dettori, John Murtagh, Olivier Peslier and Kieren Fallon while Team USA consists of Nakatani, Victor Espinoza, Kent Desormeaux and Laffit Pincay Jr. Races 3-6 will make up the challenge and there will be a pick four on those races instead of on the final four races on today’s card.