9 Mzo. USA. Santa Margarita Invitational H. G1. Santa Anita Park. 9f. AW. 300.000 $
1.- NASHOBA'S KEY (G.Gomez)
2.- DAWN AFTER DAWN (V.Espinoza)
3.- DOUBLE TROUBLE (R.Bejarano)


Neither Warren Williamson, the owner of Nashoba's Key, nor Carla Gaines, her trainer, bemoaned the fact that Zenyatta didn't run in Sunday's $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap at Santa Anita.

Zenyatta, a 4-year-old filly who is unbeaten in three starts, was scratched from the Grade 1, 1 1/8-mile event early in the day by trainer John Shirreffs, who said she had missed too much training and wasn't primed for a top effort.

"On the one hand, I would have liked to run against her," said Williamson, 79, who also is the breeder of Nashoba's Key. "But I wasn't going to worry about it."

Gaines was more emphatic on the subject. "I'm in favor of anything that makes it easier for us," she said after Nashoba's Key, the 1-2 favorite, breezed to a 11/2-length victory in the Santa Margarita, which had five starters. Her time was 1:48.82.

It was the first success for Nashoba's Key, a 5-year-old mare who was voted the best California-bred runner of 2007, since she won the Yellow Ribbon Handicap on turf here Sept. 29.

That made her a perfect 7-for-7 at the time, but she lost her next two races, both on grass – fourth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on a soggy Monmouth Park course and second in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf here Jan. 26.

Gaines blamed the Sunshine Millions loss on jockey Joe Talamo, who had ridden Nashoba's Key in six consecutive races, including four stakes triumphs, after Garrett Gomez relinquished the mount. Gomez headed East after riding her in the first three starts of her career.

Gomez was back aboard Sunday. He will leave Santa Anita again at the end of March to ride in Kentucky and New York, but said he will travel back to California to team with Nashoba's Key.

"She seems like a much better filly than last year," said Gomez, whose last previous collaboration with the mare was in the Fran's Valentine Stakes for state-breds April 29.

The 2008 and 2009 Breeders' Cups both will be run here, meaning Nashoba's Key, who is considered a prime candidate for the rich dirt and turf races, doesn't have to leave Califormia.

"We'll wait to see what her next race will be," Gaines said. The $200,000 Santa Barbara Handicap at 1 ¼ miles on turf here April 19 is under consideration, she added.