Dragon Flower leads during Golden State Juvenile Fillies Stakes

Dragon Flower, a two-year-old filly stabled at the San Luis Rey Training Center, led the Golden State Juvenile Fillies Stakes for the first half of the Oct. 29 race at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club before finishing sixth in the seven-furlong competition.

"She tried really hard. She's very brave. So proud of her," said trainer Rosemary Trela.

Dragon Flower, who is owned by Joe Schneider and was ridden by Santiago Gonzalez, was one of 12 horses in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies Stakes and one of two San Luis Rey entries in the first stakes race of Del Mar's 2015 Bing Crosby Season meet. The other San Luis Rey filly, Just Google Me, is trained by Scott Rollins and was ridden by Edwin Maldonado. San Luis Rey trainer Sam Scolamieri had entered Obey in the Opening Day stakes race but scratched her that morning.

Dragon Flower was foaled on March 27, 2013. She was sired by Informed out of Del Mar Lee and made her racing debut on July 11, 2015, at Los Alamitos. She won that five-furlong race by 2 1/4 lengths. She then ran twice during the Del Mar summer meet and had second-place finishes Aug. 13 and Sept. 3. On Oct. 1 she won a 5 1/2-furlong competition at Santa Anita by 1 3/4 lengths.

The only previous race for Golden State Juvenile Fillies Stakes winner Pacific Heat, who was foaled on the same day as Dragon Flower, was a 5 1/2-furlong contest Sept. 25 at Los Alamitos. Pacific Heat won that race by 13 1/2 lengths. Pacific Heat won the Golden State Juvenile Fillies Stakes with a 5 1/4-length lead over second-place Sambamzajammin.

"No one was going to beat that winner," Schneider said.

"That filly that won, we weren't going to catch her," Trela said.

Dragon Flower finished 10 3/4 lengths behind Pacific Heat, half a length in back of fifth-place Red Stich, and 2 1/2 lengths in front of seventh-place Halo Darlin. Just Google Me finished in ninth place, a neck behind eighth-place Khalaya and 6 3/4 lengths in front of 10th-place Forthenineteen.

Dragon Flower broke 10th among the 12 horses. "Stumbling out of the gate didn't help her, either," Trela said. "I think that compromised her chances a little bit."

Dragon Flower was able to gain the lead. After one-quarter of a mile, which took her 22.71 seconds, she was in front of second-place Octofy by a head and a length in front of Pacific Heat, who was in fourth. Dragon Flower reached the half-mile point 46.00 seconds into the race with a half-length lead over second-place Run for Retts and a two-length lead over Pacific Heat, who was still in fourth.

Pacific Heat entered the stretch with a 1 1/2-length lead over Sambamzajammin, who had a 1 1/2-length lead over Dragon Flower. Dragon Flower led fourth-place Patriotic Diamond by 2 1/2 lengths entering the stretch.

Patriotic Diamond was the eventual third-place finisher. Yodelsong and Red Stich also passed Dragon Flower during the stretch.

"Very proud of her anyway. She put in a good effort. She came out of the race in good order," Trela said. "The main thing is that they pull up okay and they can run another race."

Trela expects that Dragon Flower will next race during the Santa Anita fall meet.

Trela lives in Norco and trained her horses at the Fairplex facility in Pomona before the Fairplex stables closed in February. She then relocated to San Luis Rey. "Love the facility. It's a wonderful place," she said.