From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (June 6, 2020)–Last by about seven lengths heading into the far turn, Super Patriot rallied three-deep turning for home to win Saturday’s $100,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes for Golden State Series eligible fillies and mares by 1 ¾ lengths under a well executed hand ride from Santa Anita’s leading man Flavien Prat. Trained by Richard Baltas, the 5-year-old Unusual Heat mare got a mile on turf in 1:35.66.
Well beaten in the Grade II Buena Vista Stakes going a mile turf Feb. 22, Super Patriot was the 3-2 favorite with Prat aboard for the first time and in a field of six California-bred or sired fillies and mares paid $5.00, $2.80 and $2.10.
“She’s not easy to deal with, but she’s special,” said Baltas, who notched his meet-leading 27th win. “She’s got a great turn of foot. They were walking, but she was off the bridle and looked very comfortable. All I told Flavien was ‘Don’t get her stopped.’ She was inside, they he took her outside. He’s Flavien Prat!”
Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Richard Baltas, Jeremy Peskoff, Jose Ramos and Raymond Salvatore, Super Patriot, who was bred by Harris Farms and is out of the Redattore mare Patriot C H, notched her first-ever stakes win and improved her overall mark to 28-6-5-6. With the winner’s share of $60,000, she now has earnings of $353,954.
A tracking second early, Sedamar overtook pacesetter Cordiality a furlong out, but was no match for the winner late and finished second by a half length over Warren’s Showtime. Off at 7-2 with Brice Blanc up, Sedamar paid $3.80 and $2.40.
Warren’s Showtime sat an attending third most of the trip and lacked the necessary kick under Jorge Velez. Off at 2-1, she paid $2.40 to show.
Fractions on the race were 24.03, 48.22, 1:11.77 and 1:23.76.
Named for Earl Scheib’s homebred multiple Grade I stakes winning foal of 1982, the Fran’s Valentine, sponsored by the CTBA, is part of the lucrative Golden State Series for California-bred or sired horses.