Moment's Pleasure © Benoit Photo
Rainmaker Racing or Lewis’ Moment’s Pleasure poured it on late and cleared the field to come away the winner of Sunday’s $152,500 Solana Beach Stakes at Del Mar, a mile on the turf limited to California-bred fillies and mares.
The 3-year-old daughter of Clubhouse Ride had Hector Berrios in the boot and at the finish was a length and three quarters ahead of Nick Alexander’s Rose Maddox. Finishing third just a nose farther back was Nathan McCauley’s Court Snort.
Favored Stay and Scam, who went off at 9-10, was up close for most of the trip but was outrun late and checked in fifth.
The Solana Beach is part of the $4.45 million Golden State Stakes series which consists of 35 races run at racetracks throughout California. Eight of them are run at Del Mar this summer.
Final time for the mile was 1:34.67 and the winner returned $10.80 for a $2 wager to win.
Moment’s Pleasure, who was making the eighth start of her career, tallied her third victory and first stakes win, earning $85,500 for her efforts. She now has a bankroll that reads $221,880.
HECTOR BERRIOS (Moment’s Pleasure, Winner) – “Well, I know she has the speed. I knew that Stay and Scam and Sneaker have speed too, so I decide to stay close. I told her to wait inside, and once I saw a clearing I asked her for one more step, and she responded. It is my father’s first time here (from Chile), so this win makes me very happy that he is here with me to celebrate.”
CRAIG LEWIS (Moment’s Pleasure, winner) – “She’s three and most of the horses in here are four. She got beat earlier this year at Santa Anita by the favorite and she’s developed a lot since then. I think she showed it today. Hector (Berrios) and I drew it out just like that in the paddock and it went just the way we wanted it to go. He gave her a terrific ride.”
FRACTIONS: :23.22 :46.36 1:10.78 1:22.94 1:34.67
The stakes win was the fourth of the meeting for rider Berrios, but his first in the Solana Beach. He now has 15 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes wins was the first of the meeting for trainer Craig Lewis, but his second (Warrens Candy Girl, 2022) in the Solana Beach. He now has 12 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winner is owned by Rainmaker Racing, the nom du course of Larry Lewis of Costa Mesa, along with his brother (and the horse’s trainer) Craig Lewis.