Fault switches surfaces to win Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes

Fault made the switch from turf to dirt for Saturday's Grade 1, $400,000 Santa Margarita Stakes and did so with ease at Santa Anita Park.

It was the second race in California for the 4-year-old Blame filly, who is unbeaten on the West Coast. The victory marked a first Grade 1 for both the horse and her jockey, Geovanni Franco.

“Geovanni rode a great race,” said trainer Phil D’Amato said. “He got her in a good position on the backside and got her in the clear at the three eighths pole, turned her loose, and I kind of thought right then, this filly can run on the dirt for sure. And, she just didn’t stop.”

Franco settled Fault mid-pack after breaking widest in the field of 10, sitting a clean trip to the outside of favored Mopotism. Mended led the fillies and mares through fractions of :22.92 and 46.79 as she opened up a few lengths with Turkish Tabby to her inside.

Three-quarters of a mile was rattled off in 1:11.11 as Mopotism began to move forward from her inside position, but Fault had the clear path on the outside. The Phil D’Amato trainee was even with Mended turning for home and shook the pacesetter off with ease. She hit the mile in 1:37.45 and wrapped up the last eighth up in 1:50.58.

“A lot of jockeys dream to win a Grade I, this means a lot,” Franco said. “We know we have a nice filly and I was just hoping she would run good on the dirt…Coming into the far turn, I had a lot of filly and when I asked her to run, I didn’t want to get her stopped. A lot of jockeys dream about coming to Santa Anita and winning races and we are doing it. It’s a great feeling.”

Mended held on for second as Mopotism came up the rail for third. La Force, Majestic Heat, Turkish Tabby, Dalsaros, Eccentric Spinster, Mistressofthenight and Bishop's Pond completed the order of finish. 

Fault picked up her first stakes win in last year’s Grade 3 Pucker Up Stakes at Arlington, then trained by Michelle Lovell for Agave Racing Stable. Little Red Feather Racing bought into the filly and she moved to the D’Amato barn, winning the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes over Santa Anita’s turf a month ago. The Santa Margarita was her fifth win in 15 starts, pushing her earnings to $558,795.

“We’ll see (what’s next),” D'Amato added on Fault. “We’ll take a step back, knowing she can run on both surfaces now, which makes her more dangerous, but this was a very impressive Grade I win and it helps her out tremendously down the road (as a broodmare).”