Chismosa changed owner and breeder Jaime Renella’s outlook on racing. Watching a filly amass five stakes wins in a little more than two years will do that to an owner with a small stable.
“If I won an allowance race, I was the happiest guy in the word,” Renella said earlier this week.
On Saturday, Chismosa will start as part of a field of five in the Grade 3 Chillingworth Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs. In all likelihood, this will be Chismosa’s final start. The 5-year-old California-bred mare is scheduled to be sold at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in Kentucky on Nov. 4.
“It would be nice to exit as she entered, with a victory,” Renella said.
Chismosa, who sells as a racing or broodmare prospect, won her first three starts, all against California-breds, at Del Mar in the summer of 2022 – a maiden race, the CTBA Stakes, and the Generous Portion Stakes.
Chismosa was winless in eight starts as a 3-year-old in 2023, but was second by a head to Eda at 19-1 in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes for fillies and mares at Los Alamitos that summer.
In 2024, Chismosa had a career-best year, winning three stakes in 11 starts – the Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes and Desert Stormer against open company at Santa Anita, and the Betty Grable Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at Del Mar last November, her most recent win.
The win in the $100,000 Las Flores on New Year’s Day in 2024 carried extra meeting for Renella, 70. It was Chismosa’s first graded stakes, and Renella’s family was in attendance.
In that field, Sweet Azteca finished third in her second career start. Sweet Azteca has since won five graded stakes and is scheduled to start in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
“I regard her as one of the best horses on the grounds,” Renella said of Sweet Azteca.
Chismosa will be bound for Kentucky in a few weeks to be prepared for the sale.
“She’s raced against the best,” Renella said. “We’ve beaten the best. We’ve lost to the best. We’ve tried with the best. As an owner, seeing your horse run, it’s like having your child out there. I don’t know how to explain it. You wish for the best.”
Chismosa is by Clubhouse Ride and is out of You Can Dream, by Cat Dreams. You Can Dream was claimed for $20,000 in 2012 and later won four races, including an allowance at Hollywood Park, for a partnership that included Renella.
Bella Renella, an 8-year-old full-sister to Chismosa who won 7 of 39 starts in a modest career from 2019 to 2024, is scheduled to sell on Nov. 8 at Keeneland, in foal to Olympiad.
Renella, who is retired, owned a manufacturing company in Irwindale, Calif., not far from Santa Anita. He sold the firm a few years ago. Aside from Chismosa, who is trained by Rafael DeLeon, Renella has four runners on the track, on his own and in partnership.
In the Chillingworth, Chismosa must beat Tamara, the winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante in 2023 who has not raced since last November.
“The unknown is Tamara,” Renella said. “Let’s see what Tamara we’re going to get.”
Chismosa, who has won 6 of 28 starts and earned $640,125, was fifth of six against males in the E.B. Johnston Stakes for statebreds at a mile at Los Alamitos on Sept. 13 in her last race. She was a well-beaten third behind Sweet Azteca in the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar on Aug. 24, her most recent race in a sprint and against fillies and mares.
The conditions of the Chillingworth leave Renella optimistic.
“This is her race, going 6 1/2 furlongs on the dirt,” Renella said. “We’ve been waiting for it.”
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