TUSCAN EVENING SHOWS CLASS IN CONVINCING BUENA VISTA VICTORY
Article taken from TTT.
Tuscan Evening (Ire) picked up the third victory from her previous four starts as she took over in upper stretch and charged to a 21⁄4-length win in the $150,000 Buena Vista Handicap (G2) on Monday on the turf at Santa Anita Park.
William de Burgh’s five-year-old OASIS DREAM (GB) mare won the Las Palmas Handicap (G2) on November 6 during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita and then finished a strong second to Ventura in the Matriarch Stakes (G1) on November 28 at Hollywood Park.
Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Tuscan Evening entered the one mile race for older fillies and mares off a one-length victory over Buena Vista challenger Czechers in the Monrovia Handicap (G3) at the Arcadia, California, track on January 3.
In the Buena Vista, Czechers led the field of 11 through speedy fractions of :22.70, :45.69, and 1:09.78 through six furlongs as Tuscan Evening, under jockey Rafael Bejarano, stalked in second off the rail, well clear of Eissoai (Brz). Making her bid two wide into the lane, Tuscan Evening, the 11-to-10 favorite, dug in with determination and took over at the eighth pole, driving to the clear victory and covering the distance in 1:33.47 on firm turf.
“I knew [Czechers] had speed and that [jockey Kent Desormeaux] could send her or try to put pressure on me,” Bejarano said. “He sent her, so I wanted to stay behind him and let my horse stay more relaxed.
“From the three-eighths [pole], my horse has a good turn of foot; she can really fly. She came running and I didn’t have to worry about anybody else coming late. I was on the best horse.”
Eissoai finished second, a half-length in front of Czechers. Grade 2 winners Cat by the Tale and Pretty Unusual finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Hollendorfer said the possibilities are endless for his talented mare this season.
“I haven’t made any plans about her next race,” he said. ”We’re going to look at several different things. We might consider the [Frank E.] Kilroe Mile [Handicap (G1)], although I’m almost totally against running against colts.
“I’m sure she can get more distance. I’m not sure if [owner] Will [de Burgh] believes in that, but I think he does.”
Overall, Tuscan Evening (OASIS DREAM) won for the eighth time from 23 career starts and boosted her earnings to $719,408. She is one of two winners from five starters out of Group 3-placed winner The Faraway Tree, by Suave Dancer.
Date: 16 February 2010