Arcadia, Calif. (December 10, 2017) On November 25, Southern California jockey Brice Blanc flew up to Golden Gate Fields and won the $100,000 Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap aboard Editore. Two weeks later, Blanc traveled back to the Bay Area and found himself in the winner’s circle yet again, this time with three-year-old filly Kathy’s Song. The daughter of Candy Ride sat in midfield before coming with an explosive run down the stretch to get the victory in the $50,000 Miss America Stakes for older fillies and mares on turf.
“I have never ridden [Kathy’s Song] in a race but worked her three furlongs last week. I thought she went in 38 but then I found out she went 36 and change,” said Blanc. “She worked great. She’s a little deceiving because it’s hard to tell how fast she is going. She got a little unlucky in her last few starts and on paper it looked like she would be one of the favorites. Well, she ran like it. She was running against really nice fillies down [in Southern California] but I think it was a step up to run against older mares [today] as well. If she stays healthy, she could definitely move up next year.”
Coachwhip, a perfect 2 for 2 heading into the Miss America, came with a bold rally down the stretch and finished second. Lady Valeur, who encountered traffic trouble in the stretch, wound up third over the consistent mare Central Heat, who surged from last to complete the superfecta.
In The Miss America, Kathy’s Song ended up going off favored at odds of 8-5. She is trained by Richard Baltas, who conditions a large string of horses in Southern California. Owned by Abbondanza Racing LLC, Premier Racing Club and Jerry McClanahan, Kathy’s Song has now won 4 of 12 lifetime starts, with career earnings of $141,955.
-30-