Arcadia, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Thegirlinthatsong, ridden by Rafael
Bejarano, galloped to victory in Saturday’s $200,000 La Canada Stakes at Santa
Anita.
Trained by Hall of Fame member Jerry Hollendorfer, Thegirlinthatsong was the
6-1 third pick in the seven-horse field of fillies and mares going 1 1/16
miles. Lexie Lou, last year’s Queen’s Plate champ, was the even-money favorite
after the early scratch of Sam’s Sister, the 2-1 morning line second pick.
Thegirlinthatsong, co-owned by Hollendorfer, pressed the early pace of 8-5
second choice Jojo Warrior with Lexie Lou running fourth. Thegirlinthatsong
gained the lead at the top of stretch and pulled away for a 4 1/4-length
victory.
“When we broke my horse was real fresh,” Bejarano said, “so when I saw that
Jojo Warrior did go to the lead, I just put us right behind and I had a
beautiful trip. By the three-eighths pole I still felt I had a lot of horse
and when I let her go in the stretch she took off.”
Lexie Lou, ridden by Corey Nakatani, made a late run to finish second edging
Jojo Warrior. Une Cherise was fourth followed by Fleet of Gold, Colonel Joan
and Ramona’s Wildcat.
The time for the La Canada was 1:43.84 on a fast track.
“She’s been training well here and we were looking for a good effort from
her,” Hollendorfer noted. “I think Rafael wanted to stay back a little more
than what I wanted him. I asked him to stay as close as he could and be
comfortable, so he did that, and that ended up working out well.”
Thegirlinthatsong, making her first start in almost two months, increased her
earnings by $120,000 to $407,695. The 4-year-old filly has won five of 19
lifetime starts along with four seconds and four thirds
Her most recent start was in the Zia Park Oaks on Nov. 24 when she got second
to Cassatt. On Oct. 25 she was fifth to Lexie Lou in Santa Anita’s Autumn Miss
Stakes.
Thegirlinthatsong paid $15.00, $4.20 and $2.60. Lexie Lou returned $2.80 and
$2.20, and Jojo Warrior paid $2.60 to show.
