LONG SHOT WET MY BEAK RALLIES FROM FAR BACK TO TAKE $150,000 SENATOR KEN MADDY STAKES BY A HEAD AT ODDS OF 23-1; UNION RAGS FILLY GETS ABOUT 6 ½ FURLONGS DOWN HILLSIDE TURF IN 1:12.37

ARCADIA, CA (Nov. 3, 2023)—In her third start for locally-based trainer Vladimir Cerin, longshot Wet My Beak rallied from far back in her first try down Santa Anita’s unique hillside turf course to take Friday’s $150,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes by a head while getting about 6 ½ furlongs in 1:12.37.

The Senator Ken Maddy is named for the late California State Senator,

Breaking from post position eight, eastern-based Jose Ortiz, aboard for the first time, took hold of Wet My Beak and had two horses beat a half mile out and loomed menacingly while full of run about eight lengths off dueling leaders Elm Drive and Brandons’mylawyer.

As the field approached the dirt crossing, at which point Oritz, who won the 2016 Senator Maddy Stakes with Shug McGaughey’s Fair Point, tipped out widest of all and under vigorous handling, Wet My Beak flew to catch Elm Drive on the money.

Most recently a close third going six furlongs on turf in a second condition allowance at Santa Anita Oct. 6, Wet My Beak was off at 23-1 in a field of 11 fillies and mares and paid $49.60, $16.00 and $8.40.

Bred and originally based in Maryland, Wet My Beak, who is owned by Thelma and Louise Stable, LLC, is a 4-year-old daughter of Union Rags out of the Speightstown mare Who’s in Town. With the Maddy counting as her first stakes win, she now has three wins and a third-place finish from six starts.

With today’s winner’s share of $90,000, she increased her earnings to $176,988.

The 2-1 favorite under Flavien Prat, Elm Drive, forwardly placed throughout, was second-best and paid $4.20 and $3.40 while finishing 2 ½ lengths in front of Brandon’smylawyer.

Off at 10-1 with Joel Rosario, “Brandon” paid $7.20 to show and finished a nose better than Rose Maddox.

Fractions on the race were 22.18, 44.50 and 1:06.48.