Pussycat Doll Doesn’t Let Soggy Track Dampen Run

So much for Pussycat Doll needing two turns to shine.

Cutting back in distance to seven furlongs in the $250,000 La Brea Stakes, the final Grade I of 2005, on a rainy Saturday at Santa Anita, the daughter of 1998 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Real Quiet turned in the best effort of her life.

Far back early while stablemate My Miss Storm Cat set a fast pace in the slop, Pussycat Doll, a 6-1 shot, rallied powerfully under Garrett Gomez and went on to win by 5 3/4 lengths. This was the fourth win in eight starts for Pussycat Doll, who ran the seven furlongs in 1:21.36.

Successful in her first appearance in a Grade I after failing to win in two previous attempts in Grade III races, Pussycat Doll emulated her mother. She is out of Hookedonthefeelin, who won the 1999 La Brea for owner Mike Pegram and trainer Bob Baffert.

“This is Real Quiet’s first Grade I winner, and Hookedonthefeelin is the only Grade I winner he’s ever been bred to,” Pegram said.

This was Baffert’s fourth La Brea victory, tying him for the all-time lead with Wayne Lukas. Besides Hookedonthefeelin, Baffert had won earlier with Arches Of Gold (1992) and Magical Allure (1998).

“She was sitting on a race like this,” Baffert said. “I was leery about running her on this track, but all the riders said it was safe and even, so ... I was borderline thinking scratch.

“But, I told Mike, ‘She’s doing so awesome, she’s training so fantastic that you just hate not to run her.’ ”

Despite the margin of victory, Gomez said Pussycat Doll handled the off track only “OK.”

“She wasn’t skipping over it,” he said. “I let her settle and took my time. I knew there was a lot of speed and when I dropped her in at the three-eighths pole, it was just a matter of finding a spot for her. I did and she did the rest.”

Leave Me Alone, the 7-2 second choice and 123-pound highweight, finished second, 4 1/2 lengths clear of 22-1 shot Thrilling Victory.

The La Brea wasn’t kind to shippers. Great Intentions, part of an entry that was favored at 3-1, finished sixth after winning three in a row in New York, and Trickle Of Gold, who had won six consecutive races in Delaware and Maryland, finished eighth under Jeremy Rose in his Santa Anita debut.

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Awesome Lady, a 5-1 shot, dominated eight other fillies and mares to win the $112,600 Monrovia Handicap at Santa Anita.

Taken off the turf for a second consecutive year, the Monrovia was weakened by the scratch of morning-line favorite Elusive Diva and Resplendency, the defending champion.

Owned by Mike Cavanaugh, Clement Hirsch Jr. and trainer Gary Stute, Awesome Lady defeated 4-1 shot Beneficial Bartok by 3 1/2 lengths while running the 6 1/2 furlongs over a sloppy track in 1:16.77.

“I’ve ridden her on dirt and grass and she always seems to try hard,” winning rider Tyler Baze said.

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Upsets prevailed in all four of the stakes at Calder.

The biggest was provided by Malibu Mint, who easily won the $100,000 Chaposa Springs Handicap at 12-1. Ridden by Kristi Chapman for mother Carolyn and brother Jim, who trains the 3-year-old Malibu Moon filly, Malibu Mint won by three lengths in 1:24.97 for the seven furlongs.

One race earlier, Rafael Bejarano guided 8-1 shot Laurafina to a victory by three-quarters of a length over pacesetter and 9-1 outsider Champagne Ending in the $100,000 Frances A. Genter Stakes. In winning for the third time in seven starts, the 3-year-old Cozzene filly completed the 7 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:27.07 for Sabine Stable and trainer Bob Barbara.

Bejarano also won the other grass stakes, taking the $100,000 Pete Axthelm with 5-1 shot Drum Major. It was the fourth win in 10 starts for the 3-year-old Dynaformer colt, who is trained by George Weaver for Dogwood Stable.

In the day’s final race, the $100,000 Stage Door Betty Handicap, Mocita, a 9-2 shot, overcame a slow start to beat Special Report and seven others. Eddie Castro rode the 3-year-old Boundary filly for owner David Hutson and trainer Marty Wolfson and she ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:48.56.

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Navesink River, the 4-5 favorite, is two for two over Aqueduct’s inner track after a decisive victory in the $83,100 Gallant Fox Handicap.

The 5 1/2 -length margin of victory in the Grade III was the same as when Navesink River won the Coyote Lakes at the same 1 5/8 -mile distance Dec. 7. Mike Luzzi was aboard the winner for Char-Mari Stable and trainer Todd Pletcher and the distance was completed in 2:44.96.

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Mieszerski reported from Arcadia.