MEGAHERTZ

A restrained fifth three furlongs from home, English-bred Prize Exhibit was called upon a furlong out and she responded with a rousing 1 ¼ length victory under Mike Smith in Monday’s Grade III, $100,000 Megahertz Stakes.  Contested over Santa Anita’s turf course which was listed as “good,” Prize Exhibit got a flat mile in 1:35.56.

With longshot Poster Girl and eventual third place finisher Into The Mystic running one-two to the far turn, Smith was on the brakes while in close attendance between horses.

“I was able to get her to relax early and she can be on the rank side,” said Smith, who has ridden the 5-year-old mare in her last two starts.  “Sometimes, going into a race where there’s not much pace, everyone thinks the same thing and it worked out that way today.  We took advantage…I think she can go a mile, a mile and a sixteenth…As long as you get her covered up and keep her turned off.”

Owned by Deron Pearson’s D P Racing, Prize Exhibit was off at 3-1 in a field of seven older fillies and mares and paid $8.80, $4.40 and $3.40.

Winless in 10 starts since taking the Grade II Monrovia Stakes here a year ago, Prize Exhibit now has seven wins from 31 lifetime starts and with the winner’s share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $637,045.

“We had her in the hill race (Grade III Las Cienegas at 6 ½ furlongs, turf, on Jan. 7) last week, but it came off the grass due to weather,” said Cassidy.  “She’s trained so well into this race…She’s a tough girl.  She can be tricky.  We’ve had to do a lot of different things with her and she’s just been happier lately.  We’ve been working her from the gate and she seems to like that.  She’s somethin’ else.”

Irish-bred Jeremy’s Legacy, who was close-up while lapped on Into The Mystic around the far turn, ran well but couldn’t hold off the winner, finishing second, a head in front of “Into.”  Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Jeremy’s Legacy was off at 10-1 and paid $9.00 and $4.60.

The second choice in the wagering with Flavien Prat up at 3-1, Irish-bred Into The Mystic paid $3.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.72, 47.93, 1:12.29 and 1:24.02.

Racing resumes on Friday at Santa Anita, with first post time for an eight-race card at 1 p.m