Go West Marie wins Irish O'Brien Stakes by half-length
ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) Warren's Veneda won the $400,000 Santa Margarita Stakes for older fillies and mares by 7 1/4 lengths Saturday at Santa Anita for her third victory in a row.
Ridden by Tyler Baze, Warren's Veneda ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.73 and paid $5, $2.60 and $2.20 as the 3-2 favorite.
Dame Dorothy returned $3.20 and $2.60 after shipping in from Florida for trainer Todd Pletcher. Thegirlinthatsong was another half-length back in third and paid $2.80 to show.
Warren's Veneda was hung three-wide while running last going into the clubhouse turn. She caught up to the leaders going to the far turn, and then went three-wide turning for home before putting away five rivals.
''Out of our 800 horses, that's the best win, the biggest,'' said owner-breeder Benjamin C. Warren, who earned his first Grade 1 victory with a horse named for his late wife.
The victory, worth $240,000, increased Warren's Veneda's career earnings to $827,612, with eight wins in 22 starts.
In the $100,000 Irish O'Brien Stakes for older fillies and mares, Go West Marie won by a half-length.
Ridden by Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, Go West Marie ran 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill turf course in 1:12.90 and paid $4.80, $3.40 and $2.20 at 7-5 odds.
Qiaona returned $7.20 and $3.20, while Velvet Mesquite was another nose back in third and paid $2.20 to show. Velvet Mesquite came in with five wins in eight previous starts on the turf course.
Go West Marie overcame traffic trouble inside the eighth pole after Stevens chose to stay inside instead of moving out.
''It was really the wrong decision,'' he said. ''Not really what I want to add to my Hall of Fame tape reel. Her turn of foot is brilliant and I had enough of a spread that I was able to get out without interfering with the horses behind me.''
The victory, worth $60,000, increased Go West Marie's career earnings to $462,520, with six wins in 18 starts. The 4-year-old filly and Stevens have teamed up to win their last three races together.
