INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Nov. 16, 2008) - Evita Argentina, last much of the way, closed from eighth at the top of the stretch under jockey Tyler Baze to score a dramatic 1 1/2-length victory over front-running favorite Mi Chiamano Mimi in Sunday's $111,100 Moccasin Stakes at Hollywood Park.
Evita Argentina, who beat Stardom Bound in the Sorrento at Del Mar before chasing her home in the Del Mar Debutante and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, was 11th entering the far turn and only had three fillies behind her when she straightened for home.
She rallied with authority in the middle of the track while covering the seven furlongs in 1:21.80 on Cushion Track to win for the third time in five starts.
"Me and this filly click," Baze said. "She's a nice filly. Every time I've ridden her, she's given me 100 percent. She's straight forward and gives you what she's got. They were going fast and this filly was cool as a cucumber. She's special to me and I really love her. She's just awesome."
Previously unbeaten Mi Chiamano Mimi turned back a challenge from Palacio de Amor through the stretch to hold second by a head.
"In both of her races she got out really bad with me," Gomez said. "It's something to do with being a baby, I guess. She was out there by herself and she kind of looks and wants to head to the middle of the racetrack. I spent a lot of time just fighting her trying to keep her somewhere on the playing field."
Evita Argentina, a daughter of Candy Ride, finished 4½ lengths behind Stardom Bound in fourth place in the Del Mar Debutante and 9½ lengths back of the champion-to-be while finishing ninth in the Juvenile Fillies.
"She's got a short move so I told Tyler to be well back because it looks like it's been playing for closers," trainer John Sadler said. "It's nice to get her back on the right track. She won the Sorrento and she ran incredibly in the Del Mar Debutante, fourth beaten four. Stardom Bound kind of sucked the air out of all of us so now we're getting back. We don't know if she has distance limitations at this point, so we wanted to drop her back around one turn."
Evita Argentina, who banked $71,100 to boost her earnings to $204,900, paid $14.80, $5.80 and $3.40. Mi Chiamano Mimi returned $3.40 and $2.60, while the show payoff on Palacio de Amor was $3.60.
