Back-to-back Graded wins for Bated Breath's Take A Breath

Four-year-old Bated Breath filly Take A Breath  made it back-to-back Graded stakes wins when she prevailed in the Grade 3 Royal Heroine Stakes over a mile at Santa Anita Park on Saturday (25th April).

Taken from www.bloodhorse.com, 25th April 2026:

Trained by Mark Glatt, Take A Breath previously won the Gr.3 Santa Ana Stakes at 10 furlongs on 15th March at Santa Anita. In previous United States starts at a mile, the European import had never hit the board. Jockey Emisael Jaramillo was cognizant of the distance question for Take A Breath and adjusted accordingly by laying closer to the pace than usual.

"I thought the mile might be a little short for her. That's why I had to put her in the race early," Jaramillo said.

After longshot Rosie Jeeks went to the lead and set a quarter-mile fraction of :23.72, favorite Grand Slam Smile  took command down the backstretch while Take A Breath and Jaramillo settled comfortably only a few lengths back. Grand Slam Smile went a half-mile in :48.30 and 6 furlongs in 1:12.54. At that point, Jaramillo took aim at the leader. Take A Breath collared Grand Slam Smile at the head of the stretch and then held off a late charge from May Day Ready to score by a half-length in a time of 1:35.95 on firm turf.

Take A Breath, a four-year-old filly by Bated Breath bred in Great Britain, is owned by Chivalry Thoroughbred Racing and Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners.

"She's just really improving every month with Mark," Tim Cohen of Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners said. "We kind of wanted to wait a little bit but Mark said she was training so well, let's run, and here we are. I wasn't concerned about a mile at all. I actually think she is better at a mile than a mile and a quarter. Right now, she is just running so well we will just keep her going."

Cohen added Take A Breath would now move on to the Gr.1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita (25th May), which is contested at nine furlongs miles on turf.