Nasty concludes Opening Day with Lady of Shamrock Stakes win

Dec. 26 was Opening Day for the Santa Anita Park fall meet, and the day's races concluded with San Luis Rey Training Center filly Nasty winning the Lady of Shamrock Stakes.

"It was a good race," trainer Richard Baltas said. "We were happy with her performance."

The Lady of Shamrock Stakes was a one-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies. Nasty, who was ridden by Ricardo Gonzalez, was one of 10 horses in the competition.

Before the race Baltas told Gonzales not to insist on a pace.

"I told him not to fight her and let her go," Baltas said.

Nasty was the second horse out of the gate, and she soon took over the lead. The first quarter of a mile took Nasty 22.94 seconds, and after the first two furlongs Nasty held a two-length lead over second-place Moonhall Milly.

"She went right away," Baltas said.

Baltas also trains Annangel, who raced in Scotland before joining Baltas' barn this past summer and has trained at tracks where the races have been held rather than at San Luis Rey. Annangel and jockey Abel Cedillo took over second from Moonhall Milly, and half a mile from the starting gate Baltas' horses had the top two positions with Nasty, who completed that distance in 46.20 seconds, leading Annangel by 3 1/2 lengths.

Annangel fell back and Moonhall Milly regained second place by the time the horses had run three-quarters of a mile. Nasty, whose time for the first six furlongs was 1 minute 10.50 seconds, held a one-length lead over Moonhall Milly. The 10 horses were within five lengths of each other with a quarter of a mile remaining. Counterparty Risk was in ninth place, 4 3/4 lengths in back of Nasty and a head in front of tenth-place Last First Kiss.

Nasty entered the stretch 1:22.13 after the starter's gate was opened. She led second-place Warren's Showtime by 1 1/2 lengths, third-place On Mars and fourth-place Beguiled by two lengths, fifth-place Moonhall Milly by 2 1/2 lengths, and sixth-place Counterparty Risk by 3 1/2 lengths.

Counterparty Risk and jockey Joel Rosario began making up that deficit but finished a head in back of Nasty.

"She still hung on to win the race. I'm very happy," Baltas said.

Chad Brown, who is based in New York, is the trainer for Counterparty Risk. The filly's two previous career races were at Belmont Park in Long Island and Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens.

Warren's Showtime took third and finished half a length behind Nasty and three-quarters of a length in front of fourth-place On Mars. Beguiled was the seventh-place horse and finished 2 1/4 lengths back of Nasty, whose winning time was 1:34.22. Annangel finished eighth, six lengths behind Beguiled and 8 1/4 lengths in back of Nasty.

"I'm just happy with the results," Baltas said.

Nasty was foaled March 9, 2017. She was sired by Street Sense out of Valiant Passion. Nasty is owned by LNJ Foxwoods, who have horses both at Eastern time zone tracks and in California. When Nasty was relocated to California, Baltas took over as her trainer. Brad Cox, who is based in Kentucky, was Nasty's trainer for her first five races.

The $47,400 first-place share of the $75,000 purse gave Nasty career earnings of $105,020. The win was the third in eight career races for Nasty and her first stakes victory in three such starts. She won races June 18 and July 13 at Indiana Grand Race Course, which is in Shelbyville, Indiana. She finished fourth in her first career race, Feb. 15, at the Fairgrounds track in New Orleans, and she preceded her first win with a fifth-place finish, April 11, at Oaklawn Park, which is in the Arkansas town of Hot Springs.

Nasty's stakes debut was the Aug. 12 Indiana Grand Stakes at Indiana Grand Race Course. She was second three-quarters of a mile into the one-mile turf race, but she was bumped by another filly and finished ninth among the 12 horses.

LNJ Foxwoods sent Nasty to California in September. Her first timed workout at San Luis Rey was Sept. 26, and she had six workouts at the Bonsall facility in October and November before being prepared at the Santa Anita track.

The Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes was contested Oct. 17, at Santa Anita. Warren's Showtime won that 1-mile turf race. Fillies trained by Baltas finished second and third with Going to Vegas crossing the finish line a neck behind Warren's Showtime and half a length in front of Nasty. The race was Gonzalez's only previous mount on Nasty.

Baltas entered Nasty in an allowance race Nov. 29, at Del Mar. She finished fifth, 4 3/4 lengths behind winner Meal Ticket.

"She just got in trouble," Baltas said.

Because all horses are considered to be born Jan. 1, regardless of the date they are actually foaled, Nasty is now a 4-year-old and can no longer compete in races restricted to 3-year-olds. Baltas has not yet determined plans for Nasty's next race.

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at [email protected].