Paasch Doubles His Pleasure

A day after he won the Sunny Slope with favored Roman Dancer, trainer Chris Paasch won another stakes race Sunday at Santa Anita.

Ponche De Leona, who could have been claimed for $25,000 in her first start, made a successful debut for Paasch, easily winning the $86,800 Anoakia Stakes over four other 2-year-old fillies.

Purchased privately for an undisclosed price by Paasch for a partnership, the gray daughter of Ponche completed the six furlongs in 1:11 in beating 2-1 second choice Asian Adventure by three lengths.

Ridden by Garrett Gomez, she paid $11 in her fourth win in five tries.

“I’ve got an agent that looks for horses for me in Florida and he’d sent me a video of her and I liked it,” said Paasch. “When I flew back to look at some horses, I asked to see her as well. I knew this filly would come running down the lane, so I just hoped we would be close going into the turn and she would pick it up.

“It feels real good [to win stakes on back-to-back days]. It doesn’t happen very often in this business.”

Green Eyed Lady, the 7-5 favorite on the strength of her six-length win in the Bustles And Bows Stakes at Fairplex, found the going quite a bit rougher on the major league track. She finished last, beaten by a little more than dozen lengths under jockey Goncalino Almeida.

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Content to lag off a contested pace, Cat Cay, the 3-1 second choice, got a ground-saving ride from jockey Pat Day and rolled to an decisive win in the $109,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes on Sunday at Keeneland.

A 4-year-old Pleasant Colony filly trained by Shug McGaughey for Ogden Phipps, Cat Cay won for the sixth time in 18 starts. She completed the six furlongs in 1:091/5 in beating Spanish Glitter, the 4-1 second choice, by 71/2 lengths. Miss Seffens, the 6-5 favorite, was fifth after being part of the early speed jam (212/5 and 443/5 for the half-mile).

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Favored Scottish Halo won the $250,000 Empire Classic Handicap, one of four stakes races for New York-breds at Belmont Park on Sunday.

Trained by Paul Rizzo for owner John Oxley and ridden by Harry Vega, Scottish Halo paid $5.60 and completed the 11/8 miles in 1:49. Duplicitous was second, nearly two lengths behind.

Earlier, Princess Dixie, the 13-10 favorite, was an easy winner of the $100,000 Maid Of The Mist Stakes, Impeachthepro upset 9-10 favorite Say Florida Sandy in the $125,000 Hudson Handicap and Ransom’s Pride held on to win the $150,000 Ticonderoga Handicap.

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Steward Tom Ward said the decision whether or not to license Pat Valenzuela as an exercise rider will be made by the California Horse Racing Board.

Valenzuela, who has had substance abuse problems, hasn’t ridden since February of last year. He was handed a one-year suspension after a positive drug test and his request to be relicensed was denied this February.

Accompanied by his lawyer, Valenzuela met with stewards a week ago.