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Santa Anita: Tranche upsets Mirahmadi and Fasig-Tipton Futurity field

June 18, 2023

All the hoopla heading into Saturday’s $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Futurity at Santa Anita was centered around first-time starter Mirahmadi, a $1,050,000 yearling purchase named after track announcer Frank Mirahmadi.

Mirahmadi, a 2-year-old Into Mischief colt who was the 3-5 betting choice, didn’t run poorly, but he was no match for 20-1 longshot winner Tranche. Sired by Collected, Tranche won by 7 1/4 lengths after shipping in from Kentucky for trainer Luis Mendez.

Tranche, seventh in his debut at Keeneland on April 7 after a slow start and runner-up to the very impressive Youalmosthadme in the ungraded Kentucky Juvenile at Churchill Downs on May 4, broke quickly in the 5-furlong race and was never headed while carving out fractions of 22.15 and 45.36 en route to a final clocking of 57.68 seconds.

Ridden by Edwin Maldonado, Tranche collected the winner’s share of $60,000 to improve his earnings to $81,000. Mirahmadi held second, 1 1/4 lengths in front of Refocus. Going Mobile and Next Level completed the order of finish in the five-horse field.

“He ran a big race in Kentucky at Churchill and I really liked the horse today,” said Maldonado, who rode Tranche at Churchill. “In Kentucky, the horse that won (by 9 3/4 lengths) was a monster … I knew we had a shot in here, but I didn’t think he was going to run this big today. I was feeling great when I was turning for home by myself. I thought, ‘Yes, we got a good shot.’”

Maldonado and the colt’s owner, William Peeples, were more bullish about their chances heading into the race than the trainer.

“To be honest I wasn’t really (confident),” Mendez said. “In this business when you think you’re going to win it can sometimes go the other way. I mean, everybody on the team loved him, but I was not convinced. That beautiful field of horses was against him so I was a little worried.”

When did Mendez feel confident?

“When I saw him turning for home he made me excited,” he said.

Fasig-Tipton Debutante

Northern California invader Grand Slam Smile, who won her debut by four lengths at Golden Gate Fields on May 14 for trainer Steve Specht, tracked pacesetter Becky’s Dream from second much of the way before rallying for a half-length victory in the $100,000 race for 2-year-old fillies.

Ridden by Frank Alvarado, the daughter of Smiling Tiger was sent off as the 7-2 third choice in the short field of four. Crazy Hot, the 3-5 favorite, finished third, 5 1/4 lengths in back of Becky’s Dream (9-5).

Final time for the 5 furlongs was 58.41 seconds as the winner padded her career earnings to $83,400.

There was about a 10-minute delay to the start of the race when longshot Motet tried to sit down in the gate with jockey Kyle Frey, who was injured and taken off the track by stretcher. Motet was scratched.

According to track security, Frey was complaining of ankle pain and was taken to a local hospital for precautionary x-rays.

“Everyone was in the same boat at the gate,” Alvarado said. “Everyone (was) walking and waiting. I was worried a little bit because it is hot and she had never been in this kind of heat, but she handled it pretty good.”

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Orange County Register