Point Ashley Upset in Oak Leaf

Those who thought the prohibitive favorites would sweep the three Grade 1 races at Santa Anita on Saturday were almost right.

Wait A While was dominant at 7-10 in the $400,000 Yellow Ribbon, and The Tin Man got the job done -- barely -- at 1-2 in the $250,000 Clement L. Hirsch. But Point Ashley, with Victor Espinoza aboard, didn’t deliver at 1-2 in the $250,000 Oak Leaf.

Cash Included, a 13-1 shot who was making her first start for owner J. Paul Reddam and trainer Craig Dollase after being purchased privately less than a month ago, upset Point Ashley and earned herself a trip to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs.

An 11-1 winner against maidens on Sept. 2 going six furlongs at Del Mar in her second career race, Cash Included tracked the pace set by longshot Shes Got Skills, took over around the turn and won by 4 3/4 lengths in 1:42.86 for the 1 1/16 miles.

“She looks like the real deal,” Dollase said of Cash Included, a daughter of Include purchased on the recommendation of Jamie McCalmont, Reddam’s racing manager.

“Not really having any experience and watching her run today, I think she will get that much better next time.”

Baffert, who was going for his seventh win in the Oak Leaf, didn’t seem too discouraged by Point Ashley’s defeat.

“She wasn’t really into it,” Baffert said. “Victor said she wasn’t herself today. I really didn’t train her specifically for this race. Sometimes you don’t do enough or whatever. But she came back well, so that’s very important. It wasn’t her day, but she’ll go on to the Breeders’ Cup.”

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Espinoza had to settle for second with Point Ashley but did win with The Tin Man, who held on to beat 5-2 second choice T.H. Approval by a head in the Hirsch.

The front-running victory, accomplished in 2:00.12 for the 1 1/4 miles on turf, was the ninth in 14 starts at Santa Anita for The Tin Man, an 8-year-old Affirmed gelding owned by breeders Ralph and Aury Todd and trained by Richard Mandella. The Tin Man, who also won the Hirsch in 2002, and T.H. Approval are both headed for the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

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Wait A While’s second trip to California turned out as well as the first.

The daughter of Maria’s Mon reaffirmed her position as the country’s top 3-year-old filly on turf with a record victory.

Remaining perfect in four races on grass, Wait A While, who had won the American Oaks by 4 1/2 lengths three months earlier at Hollywood Park the last time she had come west, won by the same margin Saturday, and it was the most decisive win in the 30-year history of the Yellow Ribbon.

Garrett Gomez rode the 7-10 favorite for Alan and Karen Cohen’s Arindel Farm and trainer Todd Pletcher and she completed the 1 1/4 miles on turf in 1:59.52.

Wait A While, who has also won three of eight on dirt, will make her next appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

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Ball Four, the longest shot in the field at 12-1, led throughout to win the $350,000 Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.

In the three other graded stakes on the card, Beautiful Bets won the $175,000 Turfway Breeders’ Cup, Reigning Court took the $100,000 Kentucky Cup Sprint and U D Ghetto won the $100,000 Kentucky Cup Juvenile.

bob.mieszerski@latimes.com