The picture of consistency, Alice Marble's only off-the-board finish in her career came on debut in Oct. 2020 when she found the synthetic at Golden Gate not to her liking. Never worse than third over both dirt and turf in California since, the 6-year-old has contested two straight stakes races at Santa Anita–finishing third to Big Summer (Mr. Big) in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint S. Jan. 7 and winning the Spring Fever S. On the dirt Feb. 19.
Happy whether this race stayed on the turf on not, the heavy 2-5 wagering choice was away in good order and checked in second of four at the first point of call. Paced up front by Feeling Grazeful (Grazen), the field remained tightly bunched up the backstretch through a half in :45.56. Up alongside the leader as Rose Maddox had the door slammed on her inside, Alice Marble took over between rivals past the quarter pole and was able to gain just a bit of separation. Rose Maddox made a gallant effort to re-rally down the outside but Alice Marble had the first jump and was home clear to top a Grazen-sired exacta.
“I was actually focused on 'Rose' and she had to take up pretty seriously, I think it spoke well for her,” said Nick Alexander, the owner and breeder of the top two finishers. “I think she (Rose Maddox) has a bright future. It is just a relief that we beat (Taming the Tigress), I didn't want to run three Grazens behind her (trainer Anthony Saavedra's Feeling Grazful included)…That worked out well.”
With a pair of stakes winners by the leading California sire already, Unsung Heroine has returned to Grazen in each of her last four seasons but has not produced a foal since 3-year-old filly Dusty Springfield. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
IRISH O'BRIEN S., $98,000, Santa Anita, 3-17, (S), 4yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f (off turf), 1:16.95, ft.
1–ALICE MARBLE, 124, m, 6, Grazen–Unsung Heroine,
by More Than Ready. O/B-Nick Alexander (CA); T-Philip
D'Amato; J-Flavien Prat. $60,000. Lifetime Record: GSP,
15-7-2-3, $470,880. *Full to Enola Gray, GSW & GISP,
$585,100.
2–Rose Maddox, 124, f, 4, Grazen–Heat the Rocks,
by Unusual Heat. O/B-Nick Alexander (CA); T-Steven Miyadi.
$20,000.
3–Taming the Tigress, 122, m, 5, Smiling
Tiger–Joeandbetty'sbaby, by Yes It's True. ($21,000 2yo '20
CTBAJA). O-Mia Familia Racing Stable and Moon S. Han;
B-Highlander Racing Stable, LLC (CA); T-Librado Barocio.
$12,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2 1/4, 5 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 4.80, 3.20.
Also Ran: Feeling Grazeful. Scratched: Big Summer, Shocking Grey.
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