Sweet Catomine Delivers

Unlike a lot of Breeders’ Cup winners before her, Sweet Catomine didn’t lay an egg in her comeback.

The soon-to-be-champion 2-year-old filly of 2004, the daughter of Storm Cat, did what she was supposed to do in the $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita.

Making her first start since she won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Oct. 30 at Lone Star Park, Sweet Catomine, the 1-10 favorite, toyed with her five rivals, prevailing by 2 1/2 lengths over 9-2 second choice Pussycat Doll. Ridden by David Flores, she ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.77 for her fourth victory in five starts.

Owned by breeders Pam and Marty Wygod, Sweet Catomine has matured during her time off, said trainer Julio Canani, who also indicated that she wasn’t at her absolute peak for the Grade III.

“I’d say she was about 70%,” Canani said. “I didn’t have her cranked up. She’s been working easy by herself. I don’t want to be cocky, but I know what I’ve been doing with her and there’s a lot more in the tank.

“She’s still developing. She’s very strong and very sound. This is a very special filly. She’s truly a champion.”

The logical next step for Sweet Catomine would be the $250,000 Las Virgenes, a Grade I at a flat mile, on Feb. 12, but Canani didn’t commit to her next appearance. “We’ll play it by ear,” he said. “It’s a long year.”

Flores, who rode the filly for the first time since she finished second in her career debut last summer at Del Mar in place of the suspended Corey Nakatani, was impressed.

“She’s just something else,” he said. “I just kind of let her cruise down the lane. I pushed a little bit because she started looking around and getting bored. You could see her picking up her ears. I just tried to get her to work a little bit. [Pussycat Doll] gave me a little push. I asked her, and she opened up.”

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Girl Warrior, who was making her first start in a graded stakes, upset 7-10 favorite A.P. Adventure to win the $150,000 El Encino on Sunday at Santa Anita.

Owned by Anthony Speelman and trained by Neil Drysdale, the 4-year-old Elusive Quality filly saved ground throughout under jockey Victor Espinoza, got past pacesetter Tarlow late in the stretch, then outfinished A.P. Adventure to win by a head.

A winner of three of four since arriving from England, where she was winless in four starts, Girl Warrior paid $10.80 as the 4-1 second choice and ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.76.

Tarlow finished third, then came Penny’s Fortune. Elusive Diva, the 5-2 second choice on the morning line, was scratched earlier in the day.

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Action This Day, possibly the worst horse ever to win a Breeders’ Cup race, has been retired after another poor performance in Saturday’s San Fernando Breeders’ Cup Stakes.

Owned by B. Wayne Hughes and trained by Richard Mandella, the 4-year-old son of Kris S. was winless in six races after his 26-1 upset in the 2003 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He finished eighth, beaten by 19 lengths, in the San Fernando. He is scheduled for stallion duties at Castleton Lyons in Lexington, Ky.