Bendable, named a 'TDN Rising Star' off her debut win last June, fired strongly off the bench to earn her first graded score in the GIII Desert Stormer S. at Santa Anita Sunday. Off at 3-1 in her first start since October, the bay broke on top from the widest of five posts before settling in third behind a :21.96 quarter. Creeping closer at the three-eighths pole, she blew past odds-on Pretty N Cool outside the sixteenth pole and outkicked Coniah to the wire.
“She's matured a whole lot,” confirmed winning rider Mike Smith. “She was so much more mature today and more relaxed. She was aggressive leaving the gate, but turned right off. She waited for me to call on her and when I did, man she really jumped into the bridle. She's been training this way. [Trainer] Mr. [Richard] Mandella had her ready. He's done a tremendous job getting her back off the layoff. He's just one of the greatest and done a really, really good job. I've come out to work her a couple of times and her works were just better and better and I knew from her last work that she'd run big today.”
Graduating by open lengths at 14-1 on debut at Santa Anita last June, the Claiborne homebred annexed a local allowance/optional claimer before running second July 27 at Del Mar. She captured her stakes debut in Los Alamitos's Beverly J. Lewis S. Sept. 11, but had not been seen since running third in the GIII Thoroughbred Club of America S. Oct. 8 at Keeneland.
Pedigree Notes:
Bendable is a full-sister to multiple graded stakes winner and Grade I placed Clearly Now. Multiple stakes placed Bend produced a filly by War Front in 2016 and a colt by Medaglia d'Oro this year. The winner's fourth dam, Claiborne homebred Knot (Majestic Light) produced Thread (Topsider), dam of multiple graded stakes winner Wend (Pulpit).
Sunday, Santa Anita Park
DESERT STORMER S.-GIII, $100,000, SA, 6-18, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:09.04, ft.
1–@BENDABLE, 122, f, 4, by Horse Greeley
1st Dam: Bend (MSP, $144,946), by Arch
2nd Dam: Stint, by Wild Again
3rd Dam: Hitch, by Cox's Ridge
'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Claiborne Farm (KY); T-Richard E.
Mandella; J-Mike E. Smith. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-1,
$212,000. *Full to Clearly Now, MGSW & GISP, $1,145,674.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Coniah, 122, f, 4, Harlington–Pretti Woman, by Lord At War
(Arg). O/B-James W. & Tammy McKenney (CA); T-William E.
Morey. $20,000.
3–Pretty N Cool, 126, f, 4, Scat Daddy–Stayclassysandiego, by
Rockport Harbor. ($160,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Karl Watson,
Michael E. Pegram & Paul Weitman; B-Nancy C. Shuford (KY);
T-Bob Baffert. $12,000.[bullet ad=”lanni-hillndale-purchased”][bullet ad=”elmtree-salesgrad”]Margins: 1HF, 1 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 3.00, 5.70, 0.80.
Also Ran: Bellamentary, Invested Prospect.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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