The 16 to 1 shot Teddy’s Promise defeated the likes of Turbulent Descent to win the La Brea Stakes
In a field of nine 3-year-old fillies, for the Grade 1 $300,000 La Brea Stakes, Turbulent Descent was the clear favourite, and everyone thought before the race that she will bag it easily, but passion has a funny way of trumping logic, as the old saying goes “when the race is on, all bets are off”. Sent with 16/1 odds, Teddy's Promise proved this by outclassing Turbulent Descent to bag the race.
On 31 December, 2011, at Santa Anita, the 16 to 1 shot, Teddy’s Promise, under jockey Victor Espinoza made the grade 1 company look ordinary after she easily pulled away in the deep stretch to win the race by 2 ¼ lengths over runner up, Sugarinthemorning, who was also off at 16 to 1.
Trained by Ronald W. Ellis for owners, Judy and Ted Nichols, Teddy’s Promise is now the 4-year-old California bred daughter of Salt Lake, out of mare, Braids and Beads, by Capote.
Teddy’s Promise won her first stakes' race in the shape of the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes and provided the Nichols couple with their first stakes' win as well.
La Brea was the final graded stakes race of 2011, as the winner took 1 minute and 20.47 seconds to cover the seven furlong distance on a fast track.
Mike Puype trained 4-year-old filly, Turbulent Descent, was sent off as the 1 to 2 favourite and the heavy payoffs reflected the favouritism as well.
“When this filly got on a roll a little bit, I mentioned to them (the owners) that this would be a good race to point to but that was when I thought Turbulent Descent might not run," Ellis added. "I thought she might take the rest of the year off; but anyway, they kind of pointed that way and I did too, since her last race."
Teddy’s Promise was exiting a victory in an optional claimer at Hollywood Park, on 25 November, 2011, at about six furlongs. She defeated Include Me Out in second, and Pick and Pray in third, as she covered the six furlong distance in 1 minute and 9.84 seconds.
She broke from the outside post in the La Brea Stakes, and definitely benefitted from her position, which gave her ample time to assess the situation and pick the right time to go for the kill.
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