Since switching to a mile on the turf, Thought Process has turned a new leaf, and the Madaket Stables, Little Red Feather Racing and Estate of Brereton C. Jones runners underlined that point with an emphatic win in the GIII Surfer Girl Stakes on Sunday in Santa Anita.

The 1/5 favorite quickly moved into the lead by a sharp margin, leading by a quarter mile of :23.17. Still confident through the halfway point of :47.69, the chestnut cut the corner with aplomb, broke away on the track and crossed the fence as a commanding winner by six lengths over Casalu, with Tigerish third.

“I thought (Casalu) was going to take the lead. Then I saw Kimura grab the filly, so I said, “Let’s go,” explained winning rider Hector Berrios. “She walked really comfortably.”

“The plan was we thought (Casalu) would go back to the top, so we would finish second,” added winning coach Phil D'Amato. “I don’t think he had any intention of taking his filly to the top today. Hector cleverly took the lead and took the shortest detour.”

The Phil d'Amato-trained filly sprinted 5 1/2 panels over the Del Mar dirt on July 27 and recovered to score by 3 1/2 lengths on the waterfront venue's turf on August 17 was stretched to a mile At 2-5 for her last attempt at this course and trip in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes on September 7, Thought Process did not disappoint, recording a two-length victory.

Thought Process will now set its sights on the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on November 1 at Del Mar.

“I was just very impressed with her,” D’Amato said. “It looks like there’s more left in the tank. I'm sure she'll definitely need more in the tank at the Breeders' Cup.”

Family Tree Notes:
GI Pacific Classic winner Collected gets his fifth graded stakes winner thanks to Thought Process's Surfer Girl victory in Sunday's Surfer Girl. Thought Process, bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones, is not out of the winning Creative Thinking and delivered a colt by Win Win Win earlier this season. The 10-year-old mare was bred back to Roadster.

Sunday, Santa Anita
SURFERGIRL S.-GIII$100,500, Santa Anita, 10-6, 2yrs, f, 1mT, 1:34.34, fm.
1–THOUGHT PROCESS, 124, f, 2, by Collected
1. Mother: Creative Thinking (SW-USA, SP-Can, $132,592), by Creative Cause
2. Mother: Hat Box, by Street Cry (Ire)
3rd mother: Maiden Tower (GB), by Groom Dancer
1. RATED Stakes Winnings. ($120,000 RNA Ylg '23 KEESEP;
$57,000 RNA Ylg '23 FTKOCT). O-Little Red Feather Racing,
Madaket Stables LLC and Estate of Brereton C. Jones;
B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Philip D'Amato; J Hector Isaac
Berrios. $60,000. Lifetime record: 4-3-0-1, $174,000. Click for
The eNicks report and 5-cross family tree. Work Nick Rating: A++.
Click for that Free catalog style pedigree from Equineline.com.
2–Casalu120, f, 2, Caracaro–Key d'Oro, from Medaglia d'Oro.
($775,000 2 yr '24 OBSAPR). O-Pegram, Michael E., Watson,
Karl and Weitman, Paul; B-LLP Performance Horses, LLC (KY);
T Bob Baffert. $20,000.
3–Tigerlike120, f, 2, Tiz the Law–Lerici, by Woodman.
1. BLACK TYPE, 1. GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($25,000 Ylg '23
KEESEP; $200,000 2 years '24 FTKHRA). O-David A. Bernsen, LLC,
Rockingham Ranch and Lambert, Jeffrey; B Newstead Corp
(KY); T-Richard Baltas. $12,000.
Margins: 4HF, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.20, 9.30, 16.90.
Also playing: Tequilaandtherapy, Ce La Vi Charli, Jack's Magic Girl.
Click for that Equibase.com chart The TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO sponsored by TVG.