Surfer Girl Stakes

FRENCH-BRED FATALE BERE RALLIES TO TAKE $100,000 SURFER GIRL STAKES BY A NOSE UNDER DESORMEAUX; TRAINED BY POWELL, SHE GETS A MILE ON TURF IN 1:34.73



In her U.S. debut, French-bred Fatale Bere saved ground early and rallied wide turning for home to prevail by a nose in Monday’s $100,000 Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita.  Ridden by Kent Desormeaux and trained by Leonard Powell, Fatale Bere negotiated a mile on turf in 1:34.73.

Breaking from a disadvantageous 11 post position in a field of 12 two year old fillies, Fatale Bere was in no hurry early under Desormeaux as she tucked to the rail and had two fillies beat going into the Club House turn.  With a fast pace to exploit, she began weaving her way through traffic around the far turn and was caught five-wide turning for home, with eventual runner-up Moon Dash and Mike Smith to her immediate outside.

With the top two going head and head the length of the stretch, Fatale Bere prevailed narrowly in what was Desormeaux’s second stakes win of the day as he took the $100,000 Zuma Beach earlier aboard My Boy Jack.

“I might have to give this surfboard (custom model, given as trophies for both of Monday’s surf-themed stakes) to the team,” said Desormeaux.  “They invited me to come over to the barn to see this new filly that arrived and they said that I should ask the owners to ride this horse.

“I’ve been high on her and this filly can really run.  It was a real horse race from the quarter pole home and she just wouldn’t let that other filly by her.”

With two wins from three starts in her native France, Fatale Bere, who is by the Henrythenavigator stallion Pedro the Great, was off at 7-1 and paid $16.60, $8.00 and $5.20.

“She ran her first two races at (class) ‘B’ tracks in France, but the horses that she faced all came back and ran really well,” said Powell.  “I studied her videos and she had a really good turn of foot.  She’s a bit of a handful but her appetite has been good and her attitude has been very straightforward since getting to me…This might have set her up for the Breeders’ Cup (Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 3).  We’ll see how she comes out of it and I’ll talk to the partners and go from there.”

Owned by the Benowitz Family Trust, Mark Mathiesen and Mathilde Powell, Fatale Bere now has three wins from four starts.  With the winner’s check of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $92,274.

Trained by Michael Stidham, Moon Dash lost a heartbreaker while finishing 1 ½ lengths in front of favored Retro.  Off at 9-2, Moon Dash paid $6.20 and $4.20.

Off at 5-2 with Flavien Prat, Retro, who made a big run from off the pace, finished a half length clear of One Fast Broad and paid $3.20 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.28, 46.35, 1:10.73 and 1:22.82.

Racing resumes at Santa Anita with a three-day week on Friday.  First post time is at 1 p.m.