ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) Stormy Lucy slipped through at the rail with a furlong to go and won the $200,000 Santa Ana Stakes for older fillies and mares by 1 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita on Sunday.
Ridden for the first time by Rafael Bejarano, Stormy Lucy ran 1 1/8 miles on the turf in 1:47.11 and paid $11, $4.80 and $3.40.
''Today was perfect,'' Bejarano said. ''She broke well and I got great position. I got through on the rail and she came flying.''
It was the first graded stakes win for veteran trainer Frank Lucarelli, a former minor league pitcher.
''All I told (Bejarano) was, `You do the riding, but she'll go anywhere,''' Lucarelli said. ''She'll go inside, between `em, over `em. She's an easy horse to get around there. You've just got to find the right spot.''
Emotional Kitten returned $4.20 and $3 in her first start since Nov. 16 at Churchill Downs. Miss Serendipity was another length back in third and paid $5 to show.
Emollient, the 4-5 favorite, was fourth in her first start finishing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in November.
The victory, worth $120,000, increased Stormy Lucy's career earnings to $392,200, with six wins in 21 starts.
