|02.19.2023|7:37pm
Alice Marble and jockey Flavien Prat win the Spring Fever at Santa Anita
Although in top recent form on grass, Nick Alexander’s homebred Alice Marble proved invincible in taking Sunday’s $100,000 Spring Fever Stakes at Santa Anita as she rallied from off the pace under Flavien Prat to win by 1 ¾ emphatic lengths and is thus unbeaten in four tries on the main track.
Trained by Phil D’Amato, Alice Marble got six furlongs in 1:10.29.
The Spring Fever is part of the lucrative CTBA-sponsored Golden State Series for eligible California-bred or sired runners.
Quick from her rail post, but content to let a threesome of Doris Mae, Chancery Way, and Eddie’s New Dream duke it out on the front end, Prat bided his time to deep stretch, where he found a seam between horses a furlong out and burst clear in short order.
“She broke well, I was traveling super,” said Prat, who recommended Alice Marble run in the Spring Fever instead of against open company going 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course in the previous day’s $100,000 Wishing Well Stakes. “She grabbed the bridle around the quarter pole and unfortunately, I had nowhere to go, so I just had to bide my time, and when we had a little space she really jumped into it and was really game.”
Most recently third versus state-breds going down the hill in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint Jan. 7, Alice Marble was off at even money among a field of five older fillies and mares and paid $4 for the win.
A 6-year-old mare by Grazen out of the More Than Ready mare Unsung Heroine, Alice Marble notched her third stakes win and improved her overall mark to 6-2-3 from 14 starts. With the winner’s share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $410,880.
“When it comes from (Flavien), I give a lot of extra credence to his opinion,” said D’Amato of the decision to run on dirt. “Flavien has won on her on dirt a couple of times, so between all those things, I thought this was the right choice to take a shot.”
Ridden by Ramon Vazquez, Taming the Tigress also rallied from off the pace and finished second, three-quarters of a length in front of third-place finisher Eddie’s New Dream.
Fractions on the race were :22, :44.97, and :57.68.
