Sugar Fish landed a big one when she won the Zenyatta Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita, one of the bigger in-state preps for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). She’ll try to reel in an even bigger prize in that championship event.

Sugar Fish, a daughter of Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Accelerate, is out of the Langfuhr mare Madeira Park, and was bred in Kentucky by George Gilbert. She was a small fish at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale, with Talla Racing purchasing her for just $40,000. She has earned more than seven times that, banking $310,000 for Talla, partner Sweetwater Stable, and trainer Jeff Mullins while winning four of eight career starts.

The filly took some time to develop, and has relished added distance. She scored her initial win at a lower level that might not have indicated future stakes ability, as she went in a maiden-optional claiming race in March at Santa Anita for 3-year-old fillies who had started in a claiming race previously, who were entered for a claiming price that day, or who had sold below a certain level at auction. Sugar Fish, who met all three categories, was running as far as 7 furlongs for the first time in her fourth career start and romped by 10 lengths. It was lucky that no one purchased her for the $62,500 claiming tag that day, as she won her next outing, a 1-mile allowance-optional claiming race against older fillies and mares in April.

Making her graded stakes debut, and first of three consecutive starts at 1 1/16 miles, in the Summertime Oaks (G2) on June 8 at Santa Anita, Sugar Fish stumbled badly at the start. She nevertheless recovered to win by 9 ¾ lengths. Stepping up a level for the Clement L. Hirsch (G1) at Del Mar, the filly was sixth, but it was a salty field of older runners, as she finished behind familiar names Adare Manor, Scylla, Flying Connection, Desert Dawn and Pretty Mischievous.

Sugar Fish rebounded with her Zenyatta win on Sept. 29. Under regular rider Tyler Baze, she was last of five early, angled out into the stretch, and won by 1 ½ lengths going away, with she and runner-up Alpha Bella continuing to separate themselves from the field. The Zenyatta earned her funds toward her Breeders’ Cup pre-entry and entry fees as part of the Dirt Dozen program.