ARCADIA, Calif. (April 9, 2016)—Last early, a rejuvenated Decked Out rallied wide turning for home to register and emphatic 2 ¾ length win in Saturday’s Grade III, $150,000 Providencia Stakes, the first of six stakes events on Santa Anita Derby Day at The Great Race Place. Trained by Keith Desormeaux and ridden by his Hall of Fame brother, Kent, Decked Out negotiated 1 1/8 miles over a turf course listed as “good” in 1:52.72.
“I wish I could say that I’ve done something different with her, but really, it’s just been the switch to turf that’s turned her around,” said Keith Desormeaux, when asked if he could explain his filly’s rapid improvement. “It only took us about eight races to figure out that we should try the grass, and really, that’s been the biggest reason.”
Breaking from the rail in a field of nine 3-year-old fillies, Decked Out was hammered down to 3-1 off of a morning line of 8-1 and paid $8.60, $5.40 and $3.80. Owned by Gene Voss and Big Chief Racing, LLC, Decked Out, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Street Boss, picked up $90,000 for the win, increasing her earnings to $202,768. In garnering her stakes win, Decked Out improved her overall mark to 10-2-1-3.
“She’s matured,” said Kent Desormeaux. “She’s letting me drive, instead of wanting to go all out…Now she can go a mile and an eighth. That’s just maturity and Keith’s training.”
Irish-bred Jeremy’s Legacy traded punches on the front end with Do the Dance and wrested control mid-way around the far turn, opened up two length advantage approaching the furlong pole, but was inhaled by the winner approaching the sixteenth marker and finished second, a head in front of an on-coming Nodiac.
Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Jeremy’s Legacy was off at 19-1 and paid $17.40 and $10.00.
Nodiac, who was also bred in Ireland, finished well under Rafael Bejarano at 7-2 and paid $3.60 to show.
Lady Valeur, who was favored at 2-1 with Gary Stevens, was attentive to the early pace but flattened out late to finish fifth.
With the temporary rail set at 20 feet, fractions on the race were 23.51, 49.17, 1:15.14 and 1:40.36.
JOCKEY QUOTES
KENT DESORMEAUX, DECKED OUT, WINNER: “I wouldn’t compare the journey (today) to her mental progress. The reason she had that trip, last time, was because I had to bury her, she wanted the race Quarter Horse style. She’s been that way since the first day she’s run. Now, she’s matured. She’s letting me drive, instead of wanting to go (all) out.”
TRAINER QUOTES
KEITH DESORMEAUX, DECKED OUT, WINNER: “There’s no doubt (the added distance helped). We finally figured it out after 10 races . . . She doesn’t want to be pushed on, she wants to sit chilly and let her do it on her own, and that’s what Kent did. He never moved on her the whole race. All he does is point her in the right direction.
“I wish I could say that I’ve done something different with her, but really, it’s just been the switch to turf that’s turned her around. It only took us about eight races to figure out that we should try the grass, and really, that’s been the biggest reason.”
GENE VOSS, PART OWNER, DECKED OUT, WINNER: “With these conditions, I didn’t know what to expect, but of course, what do I know? She ran great.
NOTES: The winning owners are Gene Voss of San Antonio and Matt Bryan (Big Chief Racing) of Ft. Worth.
Source: Santa Anita Park
