Toupie Wins Grade 3 Las Ciénegas at Santa Anita Race Track

The 4-year old female horse Toupie belonging to Graham Motion has been subject to training for the second time less than four months and has been claimed her second steak victor for the duration of the stakes season at the very convenient time, i.e., by 2 and 1/4 lengths due to the 0-01000-grade stakes, Las Cienegas Stakes held at Santa Anita race track on Sunday. She’s fully shown her capabilities which was not a surprise since she has previously demonstrated excellent play in earlier races. This victory adds another chapter to her impressive career, marking her second stakes win on Santa Anita Santa Anita race track’s hillside turf course.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, Toupie led the field from start to finish, maintaining a comfortable advantage throughout the race. She set a steady pace, posting fractions of 22.39 for the opening quarter, 44.72 for the half-mile, and 1:07.09 for six furlongs. With a final time of 1:12.97 for 6 1/2 furlongs, she crossed the line well ahead of her competitors, reaffirming her status as a top contender on the turf.

Prat, who had also ridden Toupie to victory in the Unzip Me Stakes at Santa Anita race track in September, praised the filly’s racing performance. “It seems like she really enjoyed herself out there,” said Prat. “She is just talented. Graham has done a great job with her, because she can be on the muscle. She relaxed well today.”

While Toupie cruised to victory, the competition for second place remained tight. Anywho, a 20-1 longshot trained by John Sadler, finished second, edging out Nadette by a neck. Anywho, ridden by Héctor Berrios, held off Nadette, who was ridden by Juan Hernández.

Anywho showed resilience and stamina, staying strong through the stretch to claim the second spot. The filly paid $14.60 to place and $7.40 to show. Nadette, trained by Neil Drysdale, finished third, just a neck behind Anywho. She returned $3.20 to show.

Miss Lizzy, another contender in the field, finished in fourth, just a neck behind Nadette, and returned $2.40 to show.

Toupie, who won the Las Cienegas yesterday’s race at Hastings, now added a new achievement to her long list of successes. Besides the wins at Santa Anita race track, Toupie also raced at Aqueduct in the Autumn Days Stakes on November 8. She finished fourth in a six-furlong turf race. Even though Toupie placed fourth last time out, she has remained consistent and flexible during her races and has thus proven that she can be a strong competitor on all sorts of turf courses.

The filly is homebred for Alain and Gérard Wertheimer and is sired by the Kentucky Derby. Her pedigree, coupled with her astounding running results, is one great one to watch.

Having won two stakes in recent months, Toupie has a bright future. Among the possible stakes races, trainer Graham Motion will most likely select the filly for turf sprints as she has demonstrated to be especially successful in that category. Her capability of coping with the hillside turf course at Santa Anita race track understandings is a good example of an advantage, and her stable progress is the reason for her being a hopeful contender in the turf sprint division

Toupie’s racing performance in the Las Ciénegas further establishes her as one of the top turf sprinters in the country. With her strong form and consistent racing performances, fans can look forward to seeing more of her in future races, as she continues to rise in prominence among the elite turf runners.

For now, Toupie can enjoy the well-earned accolades that come with her victory in the Las Ciénegas. As Wertheimer and Motion look ahead to future opportunities, Toupie has shown that she is a force to be reckoned with in the world of turf racing.