DEL MAR, Calif. (Nov. 12, 2023) – Northern California Yearling Sale graduate Chancery Way went wire-to-wire to win Sunday’s $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes for Golden State Series-eligible fillies and mares at Del Mar.
Chancery Way is by Mr. Big, out of the War Chant mare This Means War, was bred by Harris Farms and John Nicoletti, is owned by Andy Smolich and Rob Smolich and is trained by Jamey Thomas.
The $6,500 purchase at the Northern California Yearling Sale out of the Harris Farms consignment has six wins in 11 starts, earnings of $270,770 and was coming off a third in the Aug. 25 Solana Beach.
“I didn’t know anything about this filly before I rode her today, but I went back and looked at film of some of her races,” said jockey Antonio Fresu. “I could see she had speed and it looked like she could finish well. I thought the seven furlongs would be a good distance for her. When we turned for home, she really went. It all worked out well.”
Chancery Way ran the seven furlongs in 1:22.43 at odds of 5-2 and won by 3 1/2 lengths over Rose Dawson, with Carmen Miranda third in a field of seven.
“She broke sharp and Antonio (Fresu) put her on the lead like we thought we’d be and it worked out perfect for us,” said Thomas. “She’s been training really good and so we thought ‘she’s ready to roll, let’s find us a race’ and this happened to be the one.”