DEL MAR, Calif. (July 26, 2024) – Pushiness turned back odds-on favorite Grand Slam Smile turning for home and sped to an easy four-length win in Friday’s $151,500 Fleet Treat Stakes for Golden State Series-eligible 3-year-old fillies at Del Mar.
Pushiness is by Kantharos, out of the Empire Maker mare Imperial Pippin, was bred by Richard Barton Enterprises, is owned by Repole Stable and trained by Michael McCarthy.
“She’s just fast. And she knows when it’s game day,” said McCarthy. “We weren’t sure about the seven-eighths today, but it looked like she did it alright. It was a great result. I’m very happy for Mike (Repole) and his whole team. Obviously, enjoy the support out here. A filly like this, she shows up and tries every time.
“Coming to the quarter pole a little bit, when the Northern California filly (Grand Slam Smile) wasn’t getting to her, I started to feel pretty good. Like I said, wasn’t sure we’d get the distance, but it seemed like she did it today in this company.”
She has three wins in five starts, earnings of $205,290 and was coming off a second in a July 4 optional claimer. She won last year’s California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes at Del Mar. This was her second start since a seventh-place finish in last September’s Grade I FanDuel Racing Del Mar Debutante Stakes.
Pushiness, off at 5-2, ran the seven furlongs in 1:23.03 with Grand Slam Smile second and Safa third in a field of nine, with Safa surviving a foul claim.