Santa Anita: Stark Contrast, Brave Deb win BC qualifiers

A close fourth during the first half of the race, Stark Contrast accelerated through the far turn, took the lead in the final furlong and won Sunday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Zuma Beach turf stakes for five 2-year-olds at Santa Anita.

With the win in the two-turn mile, Jerry Amerman’s homebred colt by Caravaggio earned a berth in the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar.

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Won for Lou (24-1) showed early speed through splits of 22.26 and 46.20 seconds. Proletariat, ridden by Kyle Frey, took command in the final turn just after three-quarters of a mile elapsed in 1:11.47.

Proletariat held the lead through mid-stretch before Kazushi Kimura and Stark Contrast (7-2) dueled him to the sixteenth pole and extended to a one-length win with a final time of 1:34.77 on the firm turf.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Stark Contrast paid $9.20, $3.60 and $2.60. Third Beer, who was ridden by Antonio Fresu, rallied to take second and return $4.80 and $3.40. Proletariat was third and paid $2.80. Betting favorite Caro Buono (6-5), who never was better than third, came in fourth. Won for Lou faded to last place.

After a fourth-place debut in a six-furlong dirt sprint, Stark Contrast came back a month later in September to break his maiden in a turf mile. Both races were at Del Mar.

Brave Deb stalks and scores in Surfer Girl

Stalking in second around both turns, Brave Deb inherited the lead in the homestretch and raced to a one-length upset in the $100,000 Surfer Girl (G3), a one-mile race for eight 2-year-old turf fillies.

The Spendthrift Farm daughter of Authentic who is trained by Richard Mandella earned a berth in the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar.

Jockey Mirco Dimuro kept Brave Deb (10-1) close to pace-setting favorite Will Happen (1-1), who set early fractions of 22.26, 45.76 and 1:11.17. Coming out of the second turn, Will Happen faded quickly, and Brave Deb seized the advantage.

Scratch It (5-2), who was shipped west by Brad Cox, made a late run under Kazushi Kimura, but she came up short as Brave Deb powered through the finish with a time of 1:35.40 and across-the-board returns of $23.80, $13.00 and $7.00. Scratch It finished second and paid $5.00 and $3.60. Pentle Bay (16-1) finished third to pay $6.00.

Brave Deb ran her record to 2-for-2 after having won her one-mile debut Sept. 5 at Del Mar.