City Zip Filly Lands Surfer Girl

Stretching out and trying the turf for the first time in her brief career, Stays in Vegas bid three wide into the lane, collared pacesetting Lucky Folie (Distorted Humor) inside the final furlong, then withstood a stewards’ inquiry to win Saturday’s Surfer Girl S. Always highly regarded by her connections, Stays in Vegas broke her maiden in style in the July 4 Gonzalez Memorial S. at Pleasanton and followed up with a minimum-odds success in the Wine Country S. at Santa Rosa Aug. 14. The chestnut was an overmatched fifth behind her stablemate and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Songbird (Medaglia d’Oro) in the GI Del Mar Debutante when last seen Sept. 5. Handy to the pace set by Lucky Folie, Stays in Vegas raced tightly at the fence from third and came under a bit of a ride before popping away from the inside at the head of the stretch. She came after the pacesetter soon after, hit the front and stayed on for the victory. Lucky Folie crossed the wire second, but drifted in late, taking the ground from the rail-rallying Mirage (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}). After a lengthy debate, Lucky Folie was demoted to third and Stays in Vegas was declared the winner. “There are a lot of opportunities on turf in California, so we decided to work her on turf and see how she liked it,” said winning trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. “She really liked it a lot. I just told Alex to get her away from the gate and try not to take a hold of her and get her trapped. I think she rated nicely down inside and never panicked about being in there. When Alex asked her to come off the rail, she cameoff handily and did her job.” The winner’s dam, a half to GI Personal Ensign S. heroine Persistently (Smoke Glacken), foaled a filly by Tale of the Cat in 2014 and was bred back to Gio Ponti in 2016. Stays in Vegas’s third dam is champion and MGISW Heavenly Prize (Seeking the Gold).

SURFER GIRL S., $101,500, SA, 10-10, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:35.23, fm.
1–STAYS IN VEGAS, 117, f, 2, by City Zip
1st Dam: Double Jackpot, by Broken Vow
2nd Dam: Just Reward, by Deputy Minister
3rd Dam: Heavenly Prize, by Seeking the Gold
($40,000 Ylg ’14 KEESEP). O-Jungle Racing LLC, KMN Racing LLC
& LNJ Foxwoods; B-John McCormack (KY); T-Jerry
Hollendorfer; J-Alex O. Solis. $60,000. Lifetime Record:
4-3-0-0, $130,600.
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2–Mirage (Ire), 117, f, 2, Oasis Dream (GB)–Applauded (Ire), by
Royal Applause (GB). (200,000gns RNA Wlg ’13 TATFOA;
150,000gns Ylg ’14 TATOCT; £380,000 2yo ’15 GOFLON).
O-Mrs. Fitriani Hay; B-Norelands Stud & Lofts Hall Stud (IRE);
T-Simon Callaghan. $20,000.
3–Lucky Folie, 117, f, 2, Distorted Humor–Lucky Copy, by
Unbridled’s Song. O/B-Wertheimer and Frere (KY); T-Richard E.
Mandella. $12,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, NK, 2 3/4. Odds: 7.70, 9.50, 3.20.
Also Ran: Optimism And Hope (Ire), Do the Dance, Jakaby Jade (GB), One Last Shot, Aguacate, Imflatoutsweet, Sooner Time, One True Kiss.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.