ARCADIA, Calif. (March 21, 2010) – Closely pursued the entire distance by Cat by the Tale, even-money choice Tuscan Evening proved her distance capability with an emphatic wire-to-wire triumph over 1 1/8 miles on turf Sunday in Santa Anita’s 43rd running of the Grade II, $150,000 Santa Ana Handicap for fillies and mares.

With leading rider Rafael Bejarano winning his fourth straight race on the program, Tuscan Evening shook off a bid by her pursuer turning for home, maintained a one length advantage through the stretch and widened to 1 ¼ lengths at the wire.

In scoring her ninth victory in her last 13 starts, the 5-year-old Irish-bred mare conceded six pounds to Cat by the Tale while becoming the first Santa Ana winner to carry 123 pounds since female turf champion Estrapade in 1985. She even overcame a pronounced stumble entering the stretch.