SACRAMENTO, Calif. (July 20, 2024) – Northern California Yearling Sale graduate Chancery Way successfully defended her title in Saturday’s $66,250 Governor’s Cup Stakes for fillies and mares at the California State Fair meet at Cal Expo.
Chancery Way is by Mr. Big, out of the War Chant mare This Means War, was bred by Harris Farms & John Nicoletti, is owned by Andy and Rob Smolich and is trained by Jamey Thomas.
The $6,500 purchase at the Northern California Yearling Sale has eight wins in 16 starts, earnings of $415,020 and was coming off a third in the June 15 Mary Clare Schmitt Pleasanton Oaks.
Chancery Way ran the six furlongs in 1:10.25 and won by 3 1/4 lengths over odds-on favorite Tom’s Regret with Blevy’s Tiger third in a field of five Cal-breds.
Chancery Way was timed in 1:10.25 after setting an early pace of 22.88 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.95 for a half-mile.
“She broke on top,” winning jockey Assael Espinoza said on Sunday morning. “I put my hands down and let her do her thing. I tried to stay out of her way.
“Turning for home, she gave me a good kick.”
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Tom’s Regret finished three-quarters of a length in front of 7-1 Blevys Tiger, who was followed by Smiling Molly and Draw Me.
Tom’s Regret and Chancery Way were first and third in the Pleasanton Oaks at six furlongs at the Alameda county fair in Pleasanton on June 15 in their preceding starts. Chancery Way set an early pace in the Pleasanton Oaks before fading from contention.
The Pleasanton Oaks was Chancery Way’s first start since a game second in the Irish O’Brien Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in March.
Chancery Way, bred by Harris Farms and John Nicoletti, races for the father and son team of Andy and Rob Smolich and trainer Jamey Thomas.
“I think she needed that race at Pleasanton,” Espinoza said. “She hadn’t run in a while. Jamey told me she wasn’t 100 percent ready that day.
“I was confident this time.”