Toupie Makes Las Cienegas Look Easy

There is something to be said about comfort, and Toupie, the 4-year-old filly trained by Graham Motion, seems to have taken a liking to the downhill turf at Santa Anita Park. Running on the grass of the Southern California track for the second time in three starts, Toupie made it look easy in earning a 2 1/4 length victory in the $100,000 Las Cienegas Stakes (G3T) Jan. 19. Breaking from the gate with 1-1 odds, Toupie wasted little time moving to the front of the field of eight in the 6 1/2-furlong race. Holding a steady pace at the front, jockey Flavien Prat guided Toupie and made the downhill trek look almost leisurely. But once they crossed the dirt patch to start the stretch run, Toupie officially turned an easy trip into a handy triumph. Running along the rail, the daughter of Uncle Mo reduced the race to a battle for second as she cruised home for her fifth career victory. "She seems like she really enjoys herself out there," said Prat. "She's talented and Graham has done a great job with her because she can be on the muscle and she ran well today." Prat was also in the irons when Toupie won the Unzip Me Stakes last September. Posting fractional times of :22.39, :44.72, and 1:07.09, Toupie crossed the wire in 1:12.97 over a course rated firm. The Alain and Gérard Wertheimer homebred is 5-2-1 from 11 starts. She has earned $371,775. Anywho, who broke with 21-1 odds, finished second in a photo finish and was followed by Nadette (FR) and Miss Lizzy.