Little Santamonica was up to the task as she held off the favourite in the stretch to win the $12,000 feature for fillies and mares at Saratoga Raceway on Friday, March 11.
The Jordan Hope-trained distaffer powered out to the early lead in the 1-1/16 mile Winners Over and was forced to park out last week’s feature winner Campanile (Austin Siegelman) before being met with the challenge of the favoured Bye Bye Michelle (Mark Beckwith). The eight-year-old veteran, who always races well at Saratoga, turned back the favourite to prevail in 2:00 in the lengthened distance race. Bye Bye Michelle had to settle for second while Deliciouslynaughty (Stephane Bouchard) came on to finish third.
Little Santamonica paid $10.40 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $41.60 and $143.50, respectively. Jimmy Devaux piloted the Little Steven mare to her third win of the year after a 2015 campaign in which she scored 10 victories.
Frank Coppola Jr. drove four winners on the Friday card.
(With files from Saratoga Raceway)