In the Air Tonight © Benoit Photo
The filly In the Air Tonight was a ready winner of the 71st running of the $101,000 CTBA Stakes at Del Mar Sunday, capturing the first 2-year-old stakes of the meeting by a widening five and a quarter lengths.
Ridden by Tiago Pereira and trained by Steve Knapp, the dark bay or brown miss led a one-two-three sweep for her sire and her breeder in the five and a half furlong dash. Stay Thirsty, one of California’s top stallions, sired the winner, the second-place finisher Thirsty Mama and the third-place horse in Thirsty in Vegas. Breeder Terry Lovingier was the man behind the births of all three runners.
In the Air Tonight, who is owned by the partnership of Flores, Halasz or Lovingier, et al, was winning her second race in her second start. She picked up a check for $57,000 and moved her earnings up to $89,400.
Second-place finisher Thirsty Mama is owned by Lovingier in partnership with Mihaljevich or Moroney. She finished two and a half lengths better than Thirsty in Vegas, who races for Mr.-Mrs. Wilkes Racing, Halasz and Lovingier.
The final time for the five and a half-furlong test was 1:05.37. The winner, who went favored of eight runners in the dash, paid $6.20 to her backers.
Earlier on the card, the Summer Front ridgling Stay Hot came running hard late to score smartly in the 83rd edition of the $100,000 La Jolla Handicap on the grass.
Antonio Fresu rode the winner for trainer Peter Eurton. It was the bay’s fifth victory in his ninth start and the $60,000 winner’s share of the purse pushed his bankroll to $302,160.
Stay Hot ran the mile and one sixteenth in 1:40.98 and was a length and a half to the good at the finish. He paid $8 even to his backers in the Sunday crowd.
Finishing second was Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT and partners’ King of Gosford, who had a length and a quarter on John M. B. O’Connor’s Atitlan.
Del Mar will be dark for the next three days, but will return to action on Thursday with an eight-race card beginning at 2 p.m.
TIAGO PEREIRA (In the Air Tonight, Winner) – “I saw the split in the race and so I tried to get close and she responded. I knew she would finish strong because she has a good finish in her workouts every time. I think she will continue to get better and better and hopefully get more stakes wins.”
STEVE KNAPP (In the Air Tonight, winner) – “She didn’t break right but the way she’d been training we just knew she was going to run a real big race. I really wasn’t concerned (with the speed bias). I thought she would be closer but I knew she had a real good turn of foot.”
FRACTIONS: :21.63 :46.15 :58.83 1:05.37
The stakes win was the first of the meet for rider Pereira, but his third in the CTBA. He now has 13 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win was first of the meet for trainer Knapp and his first in the CTBA. He now has six stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owners Are Anthony Chacon, Victor Flores, Thomas Halasz and Terry Lovingier.