Into Chocolate runs down favored Qahira in Santa Anita's Chillingworth
With well backed favorites Qahira and Amuse slugging it out to deep stretch, longshot Into Chocolate came running three wide late and was up to win Friday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes by three quarters of a length under Umberto Rispoli.
Owned and bred by Pam and Martin Wygod, the 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief got 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.86.
“I didn’t know much about her, but Mr. Sise said she was doing really good and she should run a lot better than she did at Del Mar,” said Rispoli, who was aboard for the first time. “It looked like they were going pretty fast in front and my filly was very professional.”
A second condition allowance winner going six furlongs at Belmont Park July 12, Into Chocolate returned to Del Mar and was subsequently beaten 20 lengths while never a factor in the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Stakes going 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 21.
Off at 8-1 in a field of five fillies and mares today, Into Chocolate paid $19.60, $4.80 and $2.80.
“We threw her last race at Del Mar out,” said Sise. "She came out of that race body sore and then her blood count was off. She’s been feeling really good here since we got back and I could tell saddling her today that she was doing good and she was ready. Those were some nice fillies and it’s always good to win.”
Out of the Wygods’ Candy Ride mare Candy Drawer, Into Chocolate picked up her first stakes win and notched her fourth win from 11 starts. With the winner’s share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $216,031.
Bob Baffert’s Qahira, who was off as the 3-5 favorite, outlasted Amuse for the place and paid $2.60 and $2.10 with Luis Saez aboard.
Amuse, who was lapped on the favorite throughout, finished a half length clear of Hang a Star. Off at 2-1 with Drayden Van Dyke up, she paid $2.10 to show.
Fractions on the race were 22.18, 44.94 and 1:09.51.
Formerly run as the LA Woman Stakes, the Chillingworth honors the memory of longtime Oak Tree Racing Association Executive Vice President Sherwood Chillingworth, who passed away in October, 2019 at the age of 93.