Her Emmynency, Nancy From Nairobi Figure Prominently in Santa Ana
Multiple stakes winning Her Emmynency and upstart Nancy From Nairobi both figure prominently among a field of six older fillies and mares in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Santa Ana Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf.
HER EMMYNENCY: A winner of the Grade I, 1 1/8 miles turf Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes at Keeneland two starts back on Oct. 10, Her Emmynency, in her first start for trainer Kristin Mulhall, was an even fourth here as the 3-1 favorite in the Grade II, one mile turf Buena Vista Stakes on Feb. 20. A one mile turf minor stakes winner at Santa Anita in October, 2014, this 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Successful Appeal was a close second in the Grade I Del Mar Oaks three starts back on Aug. 15 and has four wins from eight overall starts. Owned by Ike and Dawn Thrash, she has career earnings of $552,250.
NANCY FROM NAIROBI: A dazzling one mile turf allowance winner here on March 4, this 5-year-old English-bred mare showed an impressive turn of foot, rallying wide from off the pace with the inner rail set at 30 feet. Trained by John Sadler and ridden in all four of her stateside starts by Abel Lezcano, Nancy From Nairobi, who was off the board in a pair of Group starts as a three year old in England, will be seeking her third consecutive win in her first North American graded stakes assignment. A 1 1/8 miles turf allowance winner two starts back on Feb. 5, “Nancy” has a win and a second from two tries at the Santa Ana distance and is 21-4-6-0 overall, with earnings of $151,456.
GLORY: Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, this 4-year-old filly by Tapit pressed the pace and was overwhelmed by Nancy From Nairobi late when second in a one mile turf allowance here on March 4. Quick early, Glory showed the way in both the Grade III, one mile turf Megahertz Stakes Jan. 18 and the Grade III, 1 1/8 miles turf Robert B. Frankel Stakes Dec. 27, finishing a well beaten seventh and a close third, beaten a neck, respectively. Owned by Fox Hill Farms, Inc., she has three wins from 11 starts and seeks her first graded win in the Santa Ana.
THE GRADE II SANTA ANA STAKES IN POST POSITION ORDER WITH JOCKEYS
Race 5 (of 11) Approximate post time, 2:35 p.m. PDT
1. Her Emmynency
2. Nancy From Nairobi Abel Lezcano
3. Nashoba’s Gold Rafael Bejarano
4. Fresh Feline
5. Glory
6. Tuttipaesi
First post time for an 11-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. Admission gates open at 10:30 a.m.
Source: Santa Anita Park