California Thoroughbred Magazine September 2020

Page 25

© BENOIT PHOTO

Rancho Bernardo Handicap

Kevin and Kim Nish’s homebred Sneaking Out wins Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar

STANDING OUT

CAL-BRED SNEAKING OUT SHUTS THE DOOR IN GRADE 3 RANCHO BERNARDO

BY TRACY GANTZ

U

p until the $101,500 Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3) at Del Mar Aug. 21, California-bred Sneaking Out hadn’t won twice at a racetrack. Don’t hold that against her, however, because all fve of her previous victories have come at different tracks, from up and down California to as far away as Arkansas.

Sneaking Out’s versatility has allowed her to break her maiden at Del Mar, add an allowance optional claiming win at Golden Gate Fields, and become a stakes winner in the 2019 Evening Jewel Stakes at Santa Anita. Earlier this year she won an allowance race at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas and then completed her collection of major California tracks

at Los Alamitos, stepping up to a graded win in the Great Lady M. Stakes (G2). And when she wasn’t doubling up at a track, Sneaking Out was often fnishing second. Going into the Rancho Bernardo, she had fve wins and four seconds in 11 starts, racing for her breeders, Kevin and Kim Nish’s KMN Racing. Sneaking Out actually fnished frst once more, in the 2019 Angels Flight Stakes, but she was disqualifed and placed second. Kim Nish ascribes that to her determination. “She made a beeline for that other horse and bumped her hard,” Kim said. For most of Sneaking Out’s career, Jerry Hollendorfer has trained her. It is a partnership with the Nishes that has included Eclipse Award champion Shared Belief, trained by Hollendorfer and owned by the partnership of Jim and Janet Rome’s

Jungle Racing, the Nishes, Hollendorfer, Jason Litt, Alex Solis II, and George Todaro. Jockey Umberto Rispoli joined the Sneaking Out team for the Rancho Bernardo. “Tis is my frst time on her,” Rispoli said. “We can’t work horses here, so we have to watch a lot of videos. I like what I saw.” Eight older fllies and mares lined up for the 61⁄2-furlong Rancho Bernardo. One of the few graded handicaps, the Rancho Bernardo required Sneaking Out to carry top weight of 123 pounds, conceding from three to fve pounds to her rivals. Tat was four more than the 119 she had carried in the Great Lady M. Despite the pickup in weight, Sneaking Out went of as the 9-5 favorite. She broke out of the gate on top, but Artistic Diva and Mother of Dragons took over and vied for the lead. Amuse ranged up, and the four of them battled into the turn. Artistic Diva and Mother of Dragons left the fght to Sneaking Out and Amuse around the turn. By the stretch, however, Sneaking Out asserted her superiority, eventually drawing out to win by 33⁄4 lengths in 1:15.57 over Amuse. Gingham closed from last to fnish third. “I think she was even better today, and my rider told me he was very impressed with her,” said Hollendorfer. “She’s getting good right now. She wins a grade 2 and then puts weight on and still wins.” Sneaking Out, a 4-year-old daughter of Indian Evening—Maddie’s Odyssey, by Kitten’s Joy, was foaled at Ellen Jackson’s Victory Rose Toroughbreds near Vacaville. Te Nishes, with the help of Solis and Litt, purchased Maddie’s Odyssey in foal to Drosselmeyer for $14,500 at the 2012 Keeneland November sale. Maddie’s Odyssey has also produced multiple stakes winners Grecian Fire (by Unusual Heat) and Been Studying Her (by Fast Anna). Her 2-year-old full sister to Sneaking Out is named Starlight Stroll and by mid-August was breezing three furlongs at Los Alamitos. Te mare has a 2019 colt by Straight Fire and a 2020 flly by Tapit. She has been bred back to Constitution.

www.ctba.com ❙ September 2020 ❙ CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED

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