Thought Process turned over a new leaf since switching to a mile on the grass and the Madaket Stables, Little Red Feather Racing and the Estate of Brereton C. Jones runner underscored the point with an emphatic victory in Sunday's GIII Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita.
Breaking sharply, the 1-5 favorite soon went to the front, leading the way through a :23.17 quarter mile. Still moving confidently through a :47.69 half, the chestnut cut the corner with authority, drew clear down the lane and crossed the wire an eye-catching six-length winner over Casalu with Tigerish third.
“I thought [Casalu] would go to the lead. Then I saw Kimura grab the filly, so I said, Let's go,” explained winning rider Hector Berrios. “She went really comfortably.”
“The plan was we thought [Casalu] was going to the lead again, so we were going to sit second,” added winning trainer Phil D'Amato. “I don't think he was intent on having his filly go to the lead today. Hector smartly just took the lead and went the shortest way around.”
Third sprinting 5 1/2 panels over the Del Mar dirt July 27, the Phil d'Amato trained filly rebounded to score by 3 1/2 lengths when stretch to a mile on the sod at the seaside venue Aug. 17. Pounded down to 2-5 for her latest attempt over that course and trip in the Sept. 7 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes, Thought Process did not disappoint, posting a two-length victory.
Thought Process will now target the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
“I was just very impressed with her,” D'Amato said. “It looks like there's more in the tank. I'm sure when we go to the Breeders' Cup she will definitely need more in the tank.”
Pedigree Notes:
GI Pacific Classic winner Collected earns his fifth graded stakes winner, courtesy of Thought Process's Surfer Girl win in Sunday's Surfer Girl. Thought Process, who was bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones, is out of stakes-winning Creative Thinking, dropped a colt by Win Win Win earlier this season. The 10-year-old mare was bred back to Roadster.
Sunday, Santa Anita
SURFER GIRL S.-GIII, $100,500, Santa Anita, 10-6, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.34, fm.
1–THOUGHT PROCESS, 124, f, 2, by Collected
1st Dam: Creative Thinking (SW-USA, SP-Can, $132,592), by Creative Cause
2nd Dam: Hat Box, by Street Cry (Ire)
3rd Dam: Maiden Tower (GB), by Groom Dancer
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($120,000 RNA Ylg '23 KEESEP;
$57,000 RNA Ylg '23 FTKOCT). O-Little Red Feather Racing,
Madaket Stables LLC and Estate of Brereton C. Jones;
B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Philip D'Amato; J-Hector Isaac
Berrios. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $174,000. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Casalu, 120, f, 2, Caracaro–Key d'Oro, by Medaglia d'Oro.
($775,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Pegram, Michael E., Watson,
Karl and Weitman, Paul; B-LLP Performance Horses, LLC (KY);
T-Bob Baffert. $20,000.
3–Tigerish, 120, f, 2, Tiz the Law–Lerici, by Woodman.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($25,000 Ylg '23
KEESEP; $200,000 2yo '24 FTKHRA). O-David A. Bernsen, LLC,
Rockingham Ranch and Lambert, Jeffrey; B-Newstead Corp
(KY); T-Richard Baltas. $12,000.
Margins: 4HF, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.20, 9.30, 16.90.
Also Ran: Tequilaandtherapy, Ce La Vi Charli, Jack's Magic Girl.
Click for the Equibase.com chart the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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