By DRF.com
ARCADIA, Calif. (Mar. 16, 2025) – Longshot Prancingthruparis caught pacesetter Pushiness in midstretch and won Sunday’s $100,000 Irish O’Brien Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at Santa Anita.
Prancingthruparis is by Sir Prancealot, out of the Bellamy Road mare She’s a Big Winner, was bred by owner Ciaglia Racing, SAF Racing and Crusberg and trained by Peter Eurton.
“It’s great to breed Cal-breds,” said co-breeder Joe Ciaglia. “Her mom was a little bit crazy. The first time she went to the track, she kicked (jockey Kent) Desormeaux in the chest, so we had to scratch her, he got a big hoofprint on his chest. It was nice that we bred her to Sir Prancealot, so we got a little bit of relax so she wouldn’t be a speedball. It’s pretty exciting to make the right choice.”
Prancingthruparis, by Sir Prancealot, races for owners and breeders SAF Racing, Joe Ciaglia, and Harry Crusberg. Trained by Peter Eurton, Prancingthruparis has won 5 of 13 starts and earned $294,050.
Prancingthruparis appeared in the sixth stakes of her career in the Irish O’Brien. Her best previous finish in a race at that level was a second in the Generous Portion Stakes for statebred 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar in September 2023.
On Feb. 22, Prancingthruparis recorded a 38-1 upset with a front-running win in an allowance race at a mile on turf against open company.
Prancingthruparis is out of She’s a Big Winner, who won the 2015 Sweet Life Stakes on the hillside turf course against open company.
On Sept. 28, 2014, prior to a maiden race at Santa Anita, She’s Big Winner was scratched by the stewards after she unseated jockey Kent Desormeaux in the post parade and proceeded to violently kick him in the chest.
Desormeaux sustained two broken ribs and a collapsed lung and was hospitalized for two days. Desormeaux resumed riding four weeks later.
Prancingthruparis, off at odds of 11-1, ran the about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course in 1:13.18.
“She broke really sharp,” jockey Armando Ayuso said of Prancingthruparis. “I knew there was a lot of speed and I took a hold.
“She did a good job. As soon as she got outside, she had that momentum.”
Pushiness set a strong pace of 21.98 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.42 for a half-mile, leading by as much as a length over Shocking Grey, the 2-1 favorite. Prancingthruparis had moved into third after a half-mile and led narrowly with a furlong remaining.
Pushiness, unraced since a third-place finish as the odds-on favorite in the Betty Grable Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at Del Mar last November, finished a length in front of 7-1 Sneaker.
Moment’s Pleasure finished fourth, followed by Shocking Grey, Lamporghini, and Tam’s Little Angel.
