Alexis Tangier Prevails in Unzip Me

Under patient handling from Victor Espinoza, Ran Jan Racing’s homebred Alexis Tangier was attentive to the early pace, found room at the rail inside the furlong pole  and prevailed by a neck over Gender Agenda and Joe Talamo in Saturday’s $75,000 Unzip Me Stakes for 3-year-old fillies while getting 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in 1:12.50.

Trained by Richard Mandella, the Kentucky-bred daughter of Tiznow is out of the Avenue of Flags mare Cambiocorsa—a six-time winner (three of them in stakes races) down Santa Anita’s unique hillside layout.

“I hope I can stay in the family,” Mandella quipped with regard to runners produced by Cambiocorsa.  “She showed a lot of talent right from the start—so much so that I thought she’d like the dirt.  I can’t say enough about the owners.  They’re great people and they’re very patient with their horses.  They do right by the horse, and you can’t ask for any more than that.”

Off at 6-1 in a field of nine, Alexis Tangier paid $14.20, $6.00 and $3.80.

A maiden special weight winner down the hill three starts back on June 21, Alexis Tangier now has three wins (all down the hill) and a second from six starts and with the winner’s share of $46,620, now has earnings of $140,280.

English-bred Gender Agenda, who shortened up off of an impressive mile turf win in her U.S. debut Sept. 3 at Del Mar, was also off at 6-1 and paid $7.20 and $4.20.

Second choice Stars Above Me was ridden by Elvis Trujillo and finished a length behind Gender Agenda.  Off at 5-2, she paid $3.20 to show. 

Source: Santa Anita Park