Trainer Michael McCarthy’s longshot Rideforthecause had three lengths to make up with a furlong to run, but she kept to her task and was able to nip heavily favored Dogtag by a head in Sunday’s $75,000 Possibly Perfect Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Rideforthecause got a mile and one quarter on turf in 2:02.45.
With defending champ Dogtag and Peruvian-bred Kuora sparring on the front end early, Dogtag, ridden by Umberto Rispoli, took charge around the far turn and just missed in a big effort.
Most recently second, beaten a nose by today’s third-place finisher, Neige Blanche, in the Grade 3 Santa Barbara Stakes May 8, Rideforthecause was off at 7-1 in a field of eight fillies and mares three and up and paid $16.00, $4.60 and $3.20.
“I think I got to know her a little bit better, but even though last time, if you watch the replay, it was just the luck of the (head-bob),” said Gutierrez, who was aboard for the third consecutive time today. “I knew it was going to be tough to catch (Dogtag) but my filly, every time I would ask her and would push her, she was giving me all she can…I looked for the wire and it was a little far, so I wasn’t 100 percent confident. But I knew she was charging all the way until the end.”
Owned by Alpha Delta Stables, LLC, Rideforthecause, a 5-year-old Ontario Canadian-bred mare by Candy Ride out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Danceforthecause. A G2 winner at Woodbine this past September, she was making her fourth start for McCarthy today and she now has two stakes wins and an overall mark of 15-5-1-1. With the winner’s share of $48,840, she increased her earnings to $361,066.
The 1-2 favorite, Dogtag paid $2.40 and $2.10 while finishing three quarters of a length in front of Neige Blanche.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, French-bred Neige Blanche was off at 6-1 and paid $3.60 to show.
Fractions on the race were 25.42, 51.22, 1:15.33 and 1:38.70.
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