The undefeated Dreamfyre (f, 2, Flameaway–Appreciating, by Sky Mesa), both stretching out and trying turf for the first time, went straight to the front in Sunday's GIII Surfer Girl S. at Santa Anita. Sent at 9-5, she covered the first quarter in :23.55 and half in :48.59 with her ears flicking back and forth as Kentucky Downs maiden winner and Untapable S. third Buttercream Babe (Twirling Candy) tested her from the outside while under a hard hold. Del Mar maiden winner Soho (City of Light) made a huge, eye-catching move on the turn but couldn't sustain her rally as the three lined up across the track coming into the lane. Dreamfyre wasn't done and neither was Buttercream Babe. They left Soho behind and battled nip and tuck to the wire with Dreamfyre holding on by a neck, but a lengthy stewards' inquiry and rider's claim of foul against the winner for making contact ensued. In the end, there was no change to the order of finish. Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf S. winner and $625,000 Keeneland September purchase Flattery (Flatter), who raced in third for the first half, lost position, and came on again, finished third. Final time for the mile was 1.37.11.
“There was a little bit of contact, but I always stayed in my lane,” said winning rider Hector Barrios. “The other horse came very close on my outside, and I think that was all that happened. They were just coming too close together. I didn't think that interfered with the result.”
Dreamfyre was a $140,000 OBS April purchase by Danny Eplin after she worked a furlong in 9 4/5. Breaking her maiden on debut in Pleasanton's Everett Nevin S. in July, she shipped to SoCal and promptly bagged the GIII Sorrento S. at Del Mar in August over the dirt. She is now three-for-three, a multiple graded stakes winner, and a graded winner on both dirt and turf.
Winning Northern California trainer O.J. Jauregui said following the win, “She ran big and I'm glad she did. She should get a lot out of this and maybe after this race she could go a little further. That was the question, the distance and the turf. The sire was a turf horse so I knew we had a shot. If she looks great, we will go and give Breeders' Cup [Juvenile Fillies Turf] a shot.”
Undefeated DREAMFYRE ($5.80) took them gate to wire and fought off a very game Buttercream Babe in the $200,000 Surfer Girl Stakes (G3) at @santaanitapark. @ojjauregui trained this Flameaway (@darbydanfarm) filly with @HIBerrios in the irons. Congrats to the connections! pic.twitter.com/Uqv8zIVqFj
— TVG (@TVG) October 8, 2023
Pedigree Notes:
Top five U.S. freshman sire Flameaway is the sire of Dreamfyre and is one of only two U.S. freshmen of 2023 with a graded stakes winner to date. The Darby Dan sire has two black-type winners in this initial crop and 14 individual winners. Both his stakes winners and a number of his winners are from A.P. Indy-line mares. Dreamfyre is out of a Sky Mesa mare. Sky Mesa, a veteran stallion who stands at Three Chimneys, has 36 stakes winners out of his daughters.
Appreciating, third in the 2013 GII Natalma S., also had the 2020 GI Starlet S. third Nasreddine (Nyquist). Her yearling filly is a full-sister to Dreamfyre and brought $375,000 from Colts Neck Stable at Keeneland September. The mare's 2023 colt by Gun Runner was born June 7. Appreciating is a half to the dam of 2016 GI Longines Just a Game S. winner Celestine (Scat Daddy); Celestine's sire, Scat Daddy, is also Flameaway's sire.
Sunday, Santa Anita Park
SURFER GIRL S.-GIII, $202,000, Santa Anita, 10-8, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:37.11, fm.
1–DREAMFYRE, 120, f, 2, by Flameaway
1st Dam: Appreciating (GSP, $105,093), by Sky Mesa
2nd Dam: Hello Barbara Sue, by Dehere
3rd Dam: Barbara Sue, by Big Spruce
($130,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $140,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Danny Eplin; B-John C. Oxley (KY); T-O. J. Jauregui; J-Hector Isaac Berrios. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $285,000. *1/2 to
Nasreddine (Nyquist), GISP. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Buttercream Babe, 120, f, 2, Twirling Candy–Runway Ready, by Mr. Greeley. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($140,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $180,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Three Diamonds Farm; B-Repole Stable, Inc. (KY); T-Michael J. Maker. $40,000.
3–Flattery, 124, f, 2, Flatter–Mystic Miracle, by Unbridled's Song. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($180,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Exline-Border Racing LLC, Burns Racing LLC, Aaron Kennedy and Richard Hausman; B-Machmer Hall, Carrie Brogden & Craig Brogden (KY); T-Peter Eurton. $24,000.
Margins: NK, 1HF, 3/4. Odds: 1.90, 5.00, 4.00.
Also Ran: Where's My Ring, Soho, Zona Verde (Ire), Angiolleta (Ire), Putt for Dough, Sushi Sticks. Scratched: Loterie (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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