Hard Earned Win for Fanticola in Royal Heroine
A heartbreak second in the Grade I Gamely Stakes on May 25, trainer Phil D’Amato’s Fanticola bounced back with a hard earned neck victory under Joe Talamo in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita. Owned by Joseph Scardino and Anthony Fanticola, the 5-year-old Ontario, Canadian-bred mare by Silent Name sat a close second to the furlong pole and got one mile on turf in 1:36.76.
The third choice in a field of nine fillies and mares three and up, Fanticola paid $10.20, $4.20 and $3.40. The Royal Heroine marks her first graded stakes win and her fifth overall from 17 starts. With the winner’s take of $120,000 she increased her earnings to $468,300.
Irish-bred Queen of The Sand, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, sat far back early behind splits of 23.44, 48.00, 1:12.60 and 1:24.68 and flew late to just miss, finishing one length in front of late running Stormy Lucy. The 2-1 favorite, Queen of The Sand paid $3.60 and $3.00.
Stormy Lucy, next to last early, rallied three-wide turning for home and got third money by a head over Alexis Tangier. Off at 10-1 with Flavien Prat, Stormy Lucy paid $6.00 to show.
Source: Santa Anita Park