Gold Rush

$150,000 Tiznow Stakes
STELLA MARK

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Apr. 27, 2008) - Longshot Stella Mark, a $50,000 claim in January, rallied in the middle of the track to win Sunday’s $150,000 Tiznow Stakes for California-breds on the Gold Rush card at Hollywood Park in stakes-record time.

Stella Mark is by Benchmark, out of the Deputy Minister mare Social Savvy, was bred by Marty and Pam Wygod, was foaled at River Edge Farm, is owned by Jeff Sengara, trained by Ted West and was ridden by Brice Blanc. He was making his stakes debut.

"We had tried to buy him privately in May of last year, but he had pretty sore feet so we kind of passed on him," said West. "I have to give all the credit to Jeffrey (Sengara) because I wasn’t that impressed with his feet when we went to look at him. I think we got a good one. We put Brice on him because I don’t think there’s a better rider in the country at getting a horse to relax."

The $6,000 Barretts purchase has five wins in 14 starts, earnings of $261,276 and has won three of four starts since being claimed Jan. 8. He won by 1 ½ lengths at odds of 12-1 and ran the 7 ½ furlongs in 1:27.10, fastest of the six runnings of the stakes.

Cost of Freedom was second and Medzendeekron finished third. The original field of 12 was cut in half by scratches that included Grade I winner Bilo.

For Stella Mark’s pedigree, click http://www.pedigreequery.com/stella+mark.