Going to Vegas Wires Santa Ana

ARCADIA, CA – Abbondanza Racing, Medallion Racing, and MyRacehorse’s Going to Vegas hit the lead early and never relented, taking the field gate to wire in Saturday’s $100,000 Santa Ana Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.

Going to Vegas broke from post 3 under Umberto Rispoli as the 3/1 second choice and set an uncontested pace, posting fractions of :24.64, :49.17, 1:14.02, and 1:38.14 through the opening mile.

Drawing off in the stretch, the Richard Baltas trainee crossed 3 3/4 lengths clear, completing the 1 1/4-mile firm turf route in 2:00.80.

“This morning, I said to myself, ‘The only way to beat Mucho Unusual is to go get the lead,’” Prat said. “She’s got nice natural speed, she just brings you up there. I do really like the first part of the race, when I brought her to the middle of the track and she was relaxing, moving the ears and looking around, and I felt it then that she was relaxed. The race came the way I want. I took the lead before the first turn, and from there, she just kept improving acceleration and she really gave me a serious turn of foot at the top of the stretch.”

The 1/5 favorite Mucho Unusual took second by 1 length over Red Lark, while behind them came Neige Blanche, Altea, and Silberpfeil.

Tapwater and Colonial Creed scratched.

Going to Vegas’ win was her first since Baltas claimed her for $50,000 out of a local mile-long victory in June 2020. The 4-year-old Goldencents filly’s record improved to 18-4-8-2 with $283,751 earned.

“With this distance, it’s probably better for her to stay or even a little further, mile and 3/8, mile and 1/2, because she has tactical speed and she made the lead pretty easy today and she relaxed very nicely,” Baltas said. “She really kicked home nicely today. I was pleasantly surprised that she had that turn of foot at the end.”

Going to Vegas returned $8.60 to win, $2.80 to place, and $2.40 to show. Mucho Unusual brought back $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show. Red Lark paid $2.20 to show.