SNOW CHIEF STAKES

MARCKIE’S WATER RALLIES TO TAKE $200,000 SNOW CHIEF STAKES BY 2 ¼ LENGTHS UNDER TALAMO; TRAINED BY BALTAS & OWNED BY LITTLE RED FEATHER RACING, HE GETS 1 1/8 MILES ON TURF IN 1:46.45


RACE IS PART OF LUCRATIVE GOLDEN STATE SERIES FOR CALIFORNIA-BRED OR SIRED HORSES



ARCADIA, Calif. (May 29, 2017)–A joint fourth heading into the Club House turn, Little Red Feather Racing’s Marckie’s Water, under patient handling from Joe Talamo, bided his time around the far turn, swung five-wide turning for home and exploded late to take Monday’s $200,000 Snow Chief Stakes by 2 ¼ lengths.  Trained by Richard Baltas, the 3-year-old Tribal Rule colt got a mile and one eighth over the Santa Anita turf in 1:46.45.

“We had a perfect trip,” said Talamo, who was aboard for the first time.  “Billy Koch (Little Red Feather Racing) pretty much told me about the horse and how he likes to run.  I basically just followed Mario (Gutierrez, aboard favored B Squared, who finished sixth) around the turn and when Edwin (Maldonado, aboard third place finisher Dr. Troutman) angled out, I had a ton of horse and just swung outside of him.

“He’s the kind of horse you have to stay after.  The harder you ride him, the more he gives you.”

A maiden winner over the course at the same distance on April 22, Marckie’s Water, a 3-year-old Tribal Rule colt, out of the Stravinsky mare Russian River, was off at 11-1 in a field of 11 California-bred or sired three year olds and paid $25.00, $10.80 and $8.80.

Bred in California by Frank Mermenstein and Tom McCrocklin, Marckie’s Water picked up his second win from six starts and with the winner’s check of $110,000, he increased his earnings to $155,585.

“This is very exciting for us,” said Gary Fenton, on behalf of Little Red Feather.  “It feels really good.  We don’t like to be overly aggressive, but this horse was doing well and we decided to take a shot.”

The Snow Chief was unfortunately marred by an incident inside the sixteenth pole, in which Calli Way, who was forwardly placed early went wrong inside the sixteenth pole under Rafael Bejarano, who escaped serious injury.  Like the winner, Calli Way was trained by Baltas.

“This is tough, tough, tough,” said Baltas.  “It’s kind of hard to celebrate with something like that.  I thought the other horse (Calli Way) might be doing better than the horse that won.”

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Alsatian rallied late for the place and returned $9.00 and $7.60.

Dr. Troutman, the longest shot in the field under Maldonado at 53-1, held third by a nose over Accountability and paid $25.60 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.51, 46.69, 1:10.84 and 1:34.68.

Racing resumes with a four-day week at Santa Anita on Thursday.  First post time is set each day for 1 p.m.  Admission gates open at 11 a.m.