Thought process scores in Buena Vista after discharge

Seven months off, Thinking process could rightly have needed a race. But she didn’t have to rely on that excuse and turned in a brilliant performance in the February 28 Buena Vista Stakes (G2T) on Santa Anita Park.

The 4 year old Collected The filly faced five other older fillies and mares in the 1-mile turf event, all with much more current form. Nevertheless, punters gave her a class advantage, sending her off as a 6–5 favourite.

Second choice Grand Slam smile an eight-time stakes winner, mainly against California-bred competition, took the lead early. Thought Process, on the rail, broke alert ahead of jockey Hector Berrios and raced third behind the opening quarter-mile of Grand Slam Smile in :23.35.

“She broke so well that for a moment I thought Hector was going to take the lead,” said trainer Phil D’Amato. “But we worked hard to get her relaxed and ready, and he stuck to the plan.”

Thought Process was very happy to race third early, along with Moche Princess . Berrios brought her out to ask her for more approaching the five-sixteenth pole. Thought Process responded willingly to take the lead, pulling away to score by two lengths in 1:34.20.

“I just tried to wait and wait, and when I asked her, she passed them easily,” Berrios said.

Vibes closed to finish second, a neck ahead of Grand Slam Smile.

D’Amato said he had about a 90%-95% thought process for the Buena Vista.

“This is the way you want to win the dismissal,” the coach said. “Going to the next one is good, positive reinforcement here, and we’ll have her ready to go.”

D’Amato wasn’t sure what Thought Process’ next race would be, though he speculated they might try for Grade 1 competition. Santa Anita will offer the Gamely Stakes (G1T) in the older female grass division on May 25.

Last summer at SeaThought Process won the San Clemente Handicap (G2T) after winning two grass courts as a 2-year-old in 2024. The late Brereton Jones bred Thought Process in Kentucky, and his estate owns her with Little Red Feather Racing and Madaket Stables. After Thought Process finished third in the Del Mar Oaks (G1T) last August, D’Amato gave her a seven-month break.

“She took some time to mature, I think more mentally than anything,” said Billy Koch, founder and managing partner of Little Red Feather. “She was much more relaxed today and Hector Berrios did a great job of helping her relax and get the perfect trip.”

Koch noted that Little Red Feather has been fortunate in working with the Jones family and Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stable. They won together with Decisions like the stallion’s Thought Process Collected. Jones also bred Iron Man Cal another stakes-winning son of Collected who raced for Little Red Feather and Madaket.

The Jones family’s Airdrie Stud purchased the Creative cause mare Creative thinking the mother of Thought Process, as a yearling. Creative Thinking won the 2018 Keertana Overnight Stakes Churchill Downs. The thought process went through the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale as a $120,000 RNA and the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale as a $57,000 RNA.