From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (Mar. 13, 2022) — Fashionably Fast, a seven-year-old Lucky Pulpit gelding that has more than paid his way for breeder John Harris and his co-owners, Per Antonsen and John Nicoletti, is scheduled to make a rare turf appearance in next Sunday’s $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes for California-bred or sired runners at about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course.
It would be only his fourth start on turf in 29 lifetime races.
“He wasn’t ready for the (turf) races earlier (at Santa Anita late in 2018), which was probably a blessing,” said trainer Dean Pederson, “because he was a little knocked out after Del Mar.
“I ran him here on the dirt (Feb. 20) and thought he kind of struggled a little with the main track, so my choices came down to taking him to Phoenix for the Gold Cup last week or running in this spot, and I decided to stay home and run out of his own stall.”
Fashionably Fast finished third in a field of five while wide in the Feb. 20 race, which was his first start in some 10 weeks, so he’s likely to benefit from that outing.
“He’s like all of us,” Pederson said. “He’s getting a little older and a little more casual. I know I don’t do the same as I did when I was in my 20s. It is what it is, and the horse doesn’t owe anybody a dime (with nine wins, six seconds, seven thirds and earnings of $697,123 from 28 starts).
“When I walk him over there (to race) it’s because he’s doing good, not because I have to.”