Santa Anita: Coffee in Bed wins by a neck in Santa Maria

Coffee in Bed earned a breakthrough victory Sunday when narrowly prevailing in the Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on dirt at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, Coffee in Bed (4-1) made a three-wide move on the second turn and wore down a stubborn Super Shine to score by a neck. Desert Dawn, the 3-5 favorite who raced wide down the backstretch and on the second turn, was another half-length back in third.

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“Although we settled back a little, and were hung out a little wide, she seemed to be happy there,” Smith said. “She was at a really nice, happy cruising speed. I said I’ll stay out of the way and let her do what she does best, and she showed up today.”

Coffee in Bed earned her first graded-stakes win in her fifth attempt for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. In two previous starts this year, the 4-year-old Curlin filly was beaten by a length by Desert Dawn when she finished second in the La Cañada (G3) on Jan. 20 and was a disappointing sixth most recently in the Beholder Mile (G1) on March 9, both at Santa Anita.

“The boys and the girls at the barn have really worked with her in the mornings,” Mandella said. “They have done a great job. The groom, Taylor the assistant, my son and José Contreras does a good job riding her. I couldn’t do all of this without all those guys.”

Super Shine (7-2) with Frankie Dettori up was making her U.S. debut for trainer Phil D’Amato. A multiple group-stakes winner in her native Argentina, Super Shine broke alertly and was part of a four-horse scrum for the early lead. Long shot Princess Bettina emerged leaving the first turn, but Dettori and Super Shine soon took control up the backstretch.

“She jumped good. Nobody was faster than me, so I had to go,” Dettori said.

Coffee in Bed and Desert Dawn, who had settled in mid-pack early, uncorked wide moves on the turn for home. Desert Dawn soon lost her momentum through the lane, but Coffee in Bed and Super Shine dug in gamely, and Coffee in Bed prevailed.

“(Coffee in Bed) always had me,” Dettori said. “The last sixteenth she really poured it out for me. It was her first time here. I couldn’t ask for more. She ran great.”

Owned by Spendthrift Farm, Coffee In Bed returned $10.40, $4.60 and $2.40. As the second choice, Super Shine returned $4.60 and $2.40. Desert Dawn paid $2.10 to show.

Coffee In Bed improved to 9: 3-2-1 with $253,860 in earnings. In two graded-stakes tries last year, she was fourth in the Torrey Pines (G3) at Del Mar and fifth in the Autumn Miss (G3) at the Santa Anita autumn meet.

Fractions for the race were 22.66, 46.64, 1:11.56 and 1:38.35 before the winning time of 1:45.16..