From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (May 18, 2014)—Heavily favored at 3-5, Tommy Town Thoroughbreds homebred Let Faith Arise battled gamely through the lane to win Sunday’s Grade III, $100,000 Adoration Stakes by neck under Corey Nakatani, covering 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita 1:43.41.
A close fourth in the Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park April 11, Let Faith Arise was a virtual gate to wire winner of the Grade I Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita two starts back on March 15. Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, the 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by California stallion Kafwain was all-out to collar longshot pacesetter Yahilwa in the shadow of the wire.
“She did everything she was supposed to do,” said Nakatani. “We had to call an audible, because we thought we’d be sitting 1-2 early, but those other two (Yahilwa, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, and Eblouissante, ridden by Gary Stevens) went pretty quick, so we sat back off them and it worked out. She relaxed very well and she ran a great race.”
The overwhelming favorite in a field of nine fillies and mares, Let Faith Arise paid $3.00, $2.40 and $2.10. The Adoration marked her sixth win from 12 starts and with the winner’s share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $470,240.
A supplemental nominee, Yahilwa was fifth, beaten 5 ¼ lengths by Let Faith Arise in the Santa Margarita and in her most recent start, she was a three quarter length allowance winner going 1 1/16 miles on April 19.
Ridden by Desormeaux for the first time and breaking from post three, Yahilwa was sent to the front for the first time in five stateside starts and established a one length advantage on Eblouissante turning down the backstretch and had a 1 ¼ length edge on the winner leaving the quarter pole.
“When the winner passed me (at the sixteenth pole), my filly came back and passed her again,” said Desormeaux. “She fought tooth and nail, but they don’t give them away, do they?”
Off at 17-1, Yahilwa finished some 8 ¾ lengths in front of Irish Presence and paid $9.80 and $6.80.
Off at 100-1, Irish Presence, ridden by Fernando Perez, was taken back to last into the Club House turn and rallied to finish third, 1 ¼ lengths clear of Warren’s Veneda. Irish Presence paid $12.00 to show.
Eblouissante, a half sister to Zenyatta, was empty three and a half furlongs from home and finished a distant last at 8-1.
Fractions on the race were 23.28, 46.89, 1:11.53 and 1:37.02.