Santa Anita: Desert Dawn ends skid with La Cañada win

A money machine but winless in her last 11 starts, Arizona-bred Desert Dawn, ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, got a waiting ride that produced an authoritative, one-length score Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 La Cañada Stakes at Santa Anita.

Owned and bred by H & E Ranch, Desert Dawn got the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.05 after early fractions of 24.01, 48.61, 1:13.12 and 1:37.86 and provided trainer Phil D’Amato with his meet-leading fourth stakes victory.

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Unhurried in the early going from post position 4 in a field of five older fillies and mares, Desert Dawn was well in hand as she tracked pacesetter Musical Mishief while a joint third, about two lengths off the lead heading to the far turn.

Three deep at the quarter pole, Desert Dawn cruised alongside heavily favored Midnight Memories turning for home and blew by to win geared down by a length over a late closing Coffee in Bed.

“She was traveling super,” Prat said. “She jumped well out of there and was able to get a good position. I felt like if the race would have turned into a sprint, I would have a good chance. ... I didn’t know her, but I breezed her a few times, and I was really impressed the way she was training.

Most recently second, beaten by a length by Midnight Memories at the same distance in the Bayakoa (G3) at Los Alamitos on Dec. 15, Desert Dawn was the second choice Saturday at 9-5 and paid $5.80, $3.00 and $2.10.

A 6-year-old mare by the Tapit stallion Cupid, Desert Dawn is out of the Honour and Glory mare Ashley’s Glory. With her last win coming in the 2022 Santa Anita Oaks (G2), she picked up $60,000 for the win, increasing her earnings to $956,525. With Saturday’s La Cañada standing as her second career stakes win, she improved her overall mark to 19: 3-5-5.

“(Owners) Elena and Hollie Crim have been great supporters of mine and have been very patient with this mare,” D’Amato said “I’m lucky we get to campaign her one more year. She is one of the barn favorites (and) my wife’s favorite. She gallops her every morning. It is just a total family affair.”

Richard Mandella-trained Coffee in Bed, attentive to the pace to the far turn, saved ground and tipped out three wide in pursuit of the winner and ran out of real estate late under Mike Smith. Off at 6-1, she paid $5.40 and $2.10.

Midnight Memories, who handled the winner with consummate ease at Los Alamitos, offered no resistance when challenged turning for home and ended up third, four lengths behind the winner at the wire. Ridden by Juan Hernández, she was off at 4-5 and paid $2.10 to show.

In addition to picking up his fourth stakes win through 13 racing days, D’Amato also notched his ninth overall win at the meet, putting him in a three-way tie with Steve Knapp and Mark Glatt.

Prat registered his meet-leading fifth stakes win and, with a riding double, moved into a tie with Hernández atop the standings with 18 victories overall.