'TDN Rising Star' Casalu (Caracaro) broke from the gate with winning in mind, and took the Listed Sweet Life Stakes nearly gate to wire in her downhill debut at Santa Anita.
Coming into the race with a victory going a mile over this course Dec. 28 in the Blue Norther Stakes, she'd run second two back Nov. 30 to Will Then (War of Will) in the GIII Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar. It was her third graded black type behind placings in the GIII Sorrento Stakes on the main track Aug. 10 and GIII Surfer Girl Stakes last October.
Made the deserved 3-5 favorite by the betting public here, she never made it look like it was her first time on the downhill, leaping right to the lead coming out of the gate. Sailing through an opening fraction of :22.69 and then rating off the hip of Practical Dream (Practical Joke) as :44.44 was posted on the board, she pounced on that temporary leader after the crossover. Kicking on with it as the closers tried to catch her, she strode home confidently by 1 3/4 lengths over As Catch Can (Mo Town) and it was another 1 1/4 lengths back to Tequilaandtherapy (Mrazek) in third.
“It was pretty simple,” Flavien Prat said of his winning ride. “She broke well and as always was very professional. She got the job done. I was thankful to pick up the mount. I know Kazushi Kimura is out [currently sidelined with an injury] and I wish him a speedy recovery.”
Flavien Prat and CASALU ($3.20) were much the best in the $100,000 Sweet Life Stakes at @SantaAnitaPark. The filly by Caracaro (@CrestwoodKY) is trained by @BobBaffert.
Two-to-go today: https://t.co/5VcRa4VxbO pic.twitter.com/2Hsvucp2Vb
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) February 9, 2025
Casalu is the most accomplished for her dam thus far, but she is the second to claim black-type behind elder half-sister SP Twirled (Twirling Candy). Key d'Oro has three winners from four to make it to the track and her most recent is a juvenile colt by Vekoma. She is due to American Pharoah for 2025.
Their dam hails from the female line of GISW Key Phrase (Flying Paster), who produced SW Yankee Gentleman (Storm Cat) as well as the dam of GSW Half Ours (Unbridled's Song). Another of her daughters would go on to claim a line which yielded GSW Khancord Kid (Lemon Drop Kid), the dam of GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint heroine Bar of Gold (Medaglia d'Oro) and granddam of GSW Coinage (Tapit). She also produced the full-brother to the Breeders' Cup champion, the 2025 GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes victor Spirit of St Louis. This is the distant family of champion juvenile MGISW Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
SWEET LIFE S., $102,000, Santa Anita, 2-9, 3yo, f, 6 1/2fT, 1:12.90, fm.
1–CASALU, 124, f, 3, by Caracaro
1st Dam: Key d'Oro, by Medaglia d'Oro
2nd Dam: Key of Sea, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Key Phrase, by Flying Paster
($775,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). 'TDN Rising Star' O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman; B-LLP PerformanceHorses, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat. $60,000. Lifetime Record: MGSP, 8-3-2-1, $234,546. *1/2 to Twirled (Twirling Candy), SP, $267,984.
2–As Catch Can, 122, f, 3, Mo Town–Just a Catch, by Justin Phillip. ($210,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Augustin Stables; B-Loren Nichols (FL); T-Jonathan Thomas. $20,000.
3–Tequilaandtherapy, 124, f, 3, Mrazek–Chexcess, by In Excess (Ire). O-Here We Go Brothers; B-Reddam Racing, LLC (CA); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $12,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1 1/4, NO. Odds: 0.60, 12.40, 9.80.
Also Ran: Schilflied, Practical Dream, Acquitted, Hey Lil Lady, Ce La Vi Charli, How About Pavel. Scratched: Going Deep.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
