Tayrona Rolls Home at Santa Anita

In her first attempt at two turns, lightly raced Tayrona rallied five-wide at the top of the stretch to win Santa Anita’s featured Sutter’s Mill Purse Friday by 2 ½ lengths under Julien Couton, getting one mile on turf in 1:34.81.

Trained by Matt Chew, Tayrona was well in-hand early, as she sat a comfortable sixth into the Club House turn and tracked fractions of 22.91, 46.45, 1:10.26 and 1:22.47.

A $40,000 claiming race for 3-year-old fillies, the Sutter’s Mill attracted a field of eight.  Off at odds of 11-1, Tayrona paid $25.00, $9.40 and $7.80.

“She’s bred to run the two turns so we were hoping with a slower pace she would keep running,” said Chew.  “The main problem we’ve had is getting her to settle.  I was very apprehensive about sending her two turns and trying to get her to settle.  I thought we would be asking too much.

"Julien did an amazing job.  He said that she’s just like a motorcycle, you don’t push and you don’t pull, you just ride…I am pleasantly surprised.  I thought we could win it, or we could be a miserable last.”

A maiden special weight winner going 6 ½ furlongs two starts back at Del Mar on Aug. 11, Tayrona, a 3-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by A.P. Warrrior, picked up $21,600 for the win, boosting her earnings to $77,750.  Owned by Michael Renshaw or Debbie Sibilio or Nicholas Sibilio, she was bred in Kentucky by the Sibilios and now has two wins and a second from six starts.

Pacesetting Awe’ Some Kitten, with Edwin Maldonado up, held the place, finishing one length in front of a late closing Hard Buns and Irving Orozco.

Awe’ Some Kitten, off at 5-1, paid $6.80 and $5.20.

Hard Buns, dispatched as the second choice in the wagering at 4-1, finished a half length in front of longshot Pebble Beach Baby and Mario Gutierrez and paid $3.80 to show.

There is a hefty two-day Pick Six carryover of $230,200 into Saturday and it is expected the total pool will exceed $1 million.  The Pick Six will cover races four through nine.

Saturday’s main event is the inaugural running of the $100,000 California Flag Handicap for California-breds at about 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course.

First post time for a nine-race program is 1 p.m.