Santa Barbara wins Belmont Oaks on Saturday
Santa Barbara (3 f ex Senta’s Dream by Danehill), who was last seen finishing second in the Pretty Polly Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) at the Curragh on June 27, won Saturday’s Belmont Oaks (Gr 1, 10f) at Belmont and in doing so became the eighth Group One winner and 38th stakes winner for Coolmore Stud’s Camelot (Montjeu).
Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, Santa Barbara was settled in midfield before being angled out with just over 200 metres left to travel. She ran on well, when Moore found an opening, and took the lead in the closing stages to score by a half length from the Todd Pletcher-trained pacesetter Con Lima (Commissioner). Higher Truth (Galileo) was just a nose further back in third.
Bred by Whisperview Trading, Santa Barbara is a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Mile (Gr 1, 8f) winner Order Of Australia (Australia) and four-time Group One winner Iridessa (Ruler Of The World) being out of the unraced Danehill (Danzig) mare Senta’s Dream. Her second dam is the dual Grade One winner Starine (Mendocino) and he has now won twice in five career starts and also finished fourth in the 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) at Newmarket in May.
Sir Dragonet, Russian Camelot, Latrobe, Sunny Queen, Even So, Athena and Wonderment are Camelot’s other Group One winners.
