From Golden Gate Publicity
ALBANY, Calif. (Dec. 9, 2017) — Defending champion Fast and Foxy successfully defended her title in the $75,000 Bear Fan Stakes at Golden Gate Fields, when the daughter of Thisnearlywasmine went straight to the lead and scored a gate-to-wire victory in the Saturday afternoon feature for California-bred fillies and mares.
Under the guidance of regular rider Catalino Martinez, Fast and Foxy dueled early on with eventual fourth place finisher Spring Heat, was able to scamper clear of her competitors on the far turn and dug in gamely down the stretch to hold off a late rally from Southern California invader Cuddle Alert.
“[Fast and Foxy] only has one way of going and it’s to the lead,” said Martinez. “I tried to get her [to the lead] and save something for the end. That’s the only way you can ride her. When I took the lead at the three-eighths pole she took a big breath and I knew I had a lot of horse. When we got to the three-sixteenths pole I knew she was going to be tough to beat. She tries hard all the time. That made my Christmas!”
Fast and Foxy, who was bred and is co-owned by Joe Daehling, completed the six furlongs in 1:09.43 seconds and paid $5.00 to win. Cuddle Alert paid $3.40 to place and Run for Retts, who rounded out the trifecta at 11-1, paid $4.00 to show. With Saturday’s win, Fast and Foxy is now a three-time stakes winner. Her first stakes triumph came last year in the 2016 Bear Fan Stakes and she also won The Camilla Urso Stakes last March. The bay mare has now earned $513,807 in her 46-race career and is the perfect example of a “horse for course” specialist; all 16 career victories have come over the Golden Gate Fields Tapeta surface.
“I had the mare and grand dam [of Fast and Foxy],” said winning trainer Holly Evans, who was beaming with pride after the win. “For me to have a horse like this…it’s just incredible.”