OAK TREE : Another Surprise Winner for Stute

One day after scoring an upset with Score Quick in the Morvich Handicap at Santa Anita, owner Bill Thomas and trainer Mel Stute came back with an even bigger surprise Sunday.

Real Connection, a 28-1 shot who is missing her right eye, rallied from well off the pace under Rene Douglas to take the $106,600 Louis R. Rowan Handicap by four lengths.

Purchased by Thomas last year for a reported $75,000 from W.R. Hawn, Real Connection covered the mile on turf in 1:36 4/5 for her fifth win in 25 lifetime starts.

More comfortable racing on the outside because of her handicap, the 4-year-old Vigors filly obviously has a fondness for the Santa Anita grass. Three of her victories have come over the layout, and she overcame some trouble Sunday.

“[The trouble] probably worked out for the best,” said Stute. “That made her save her move for a little bit later. [Track announcer Trevor Denman] gave Just Tops [who finished sixth] a big call and it scared the hell out of me. But Real Connection shot through there and opened right up.”

Wende, a 6-1 shot, finished nearly two lengths ahead of 9-5 favorite Jacodra’s Devil. The latter has been third in both of her starts at the Oak Tree meeting.

“As soon as I called on her, she wasn’t getting a hold of the turf,” said Eddie Delahoussaye of the favorite. “The turf seems fine, much tighter than a few weeks ago. But my filly just wasn’t handling it.”

Oak Tree Notes

There is a Pick Six carryover of nearly $99,000 for Wednesday. . . . Bill Thomas and Mel Stute will have a chance for a third consecutive stakes success when Klassy Kim goes in the $75,000 Cascapedia Handicap at six furlongs on Wednesday.