Photo Call Scores in Rodeo Drive

Photo Call began her career in her native Ireland with trainer David Wachman for owner R. Scarborough, and made her Stateside debut a winning one last October at Keeneland. Third when stretched to 12 furlongs in Gulfstream’s GIII La Prevoyante H. Dec. 27, she was sixth after setting the pace in the GIII Orchid S. over the same course and distance. Second to Discreet Marq (Discreet Cat) in a paceless renewal of Belmont’s GIII Beaugay S. May 9, she endured a hopelessly wide trip in the GI Just a Game S. a month later and checked in last. Third in Belmont’s one-mile Perfect String S. July 3, she was last seen breaking through at the graded level in Monmouth’s GIII Violet S. Aug. 29.

Saving all the ground in a perfect spot just off the pace, the bay was clearly full of run as the field bunched leaving the final bend. Young pilot Drayden Van Dyke kept his cool, but had to tap on the brakes as the a seam on the rail closed. Undeterred, Photo Call rallied resolutely, squeezed in between rivals and kicked away to score stylishly.

“I picked up the mount from [trainer] Graham [Motion]. He’s been very nice to me and given me some nice horses, given me a lot of opportunities,” said Van Dyke, who piloted Motion trainees Ring Weekend (Tapit) and Hoop of Colour (Distorted Humor) to respective wins in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile and GII Santa Ana S. this past March. “Graham told me to place her behind the lead horses and just try to get her to shut off as much as possible. In her last race she was pretty sharp the whole way. She was tugging on me a little but we got into a nice, happy rhythm.”

He continued, “The stretch was a bit hairy. I went down to the inside hoping Joe [Talamo on Fanticola {Silent Name}] would float off of the rail a little bit, but he never did. I had to cut back and luckily she was brave enough to go through. Not a lot of fillies are brave enough to go through a hole like that but she just rocketed through there and I was lucky to get the good trip.”

Motion’s assistant Anne Sinchak added, “She’s been a class act. She loves the track, she loves the heat, and it’s beautiful here. You just have to keep them happy, and they’ll run the way they like to… I think the race just fit. She’s been training well, and Graham seems to like it here–we do well here. It fit well in her schedule, and it’s a ‘Win and You’re In’ race.”

Saturday, Santa Anita Park
RODEO DRIVE S.-GI, $301,250, SA, 9-26, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/4mT, 2:00.76, fm.
1–&PHOTO CALL (IRE), 119, f, 4, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Theann (GB) (GSW-Eng, MGSP-Ire, $143,999), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire)
2nd Dam: Cassandra Go (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rahaam, by Secreto
O-Mrs. P. K. Cooper; B-Mrs Evie Stockwell (IRE); T-H.
Graham Motion; J-Drayden Van Dyke. $180,000.
Lifetime Record: 13-4-2-4, $339,562. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. [bullet ad=”bba-double-bullet”][bullet ad=”denali-sells-at-keenov”][bullet ad=”itm-g1″] 2–Elektrum (Ire), 119, f, 4, High Chaparral (Ire)—
Carolines Secret (GB), by Inchinor (GB). (€24,000
RNA Ylg ’12 GOFORB; €27,000 Ylg ’12 GOFNOV).
O-Hronis Racing LLC; B-Sweet Caroline Partnership
(IRE); T-John W. Sadler. $60,000.[bullet ad=”guyhubert-privatepurchase”][bullet ad=”irt-shell”][bullet ad=”nouvellet-shell”] 3–Stormy Lucy, 121, m, 6, Stormy Atlantic–Here
Comes Lucinda, by Dixieland Band. ($24,000 2yo ’11
BARMAY). O-Steve Moger; B-Mercedes Stables LLC
(KY); T-Ed Moger, Jr. $36,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, HD, NK. Odds: 8.70, 7.30, 24.90.
Also Ran: Fanticola, Sharla Rae, Queen of The Sand (Ire), Star Act, Hard Not to Like, Lady Pimpernel (GB), Famous Alice. Scratched: Three Hearts.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.