Saturday’s $300,000
La Brea S.
(G1) at Santa Anita marks the return of GABBY’S GOLDEN GAL (Medaglia d’Oro)
to the racing wars following a layoff of nearly six months. The Bob Baffert
trainee coasted home in the Sunland Park Oaks in March and upset the Acorn S.
(G1) at 13-1, but her brief spring/summer campaign is also remembered for some
ghastly efforts as well. Gabby’s Golden Gal set things up for presumptive
champion Rachel Alexandra’s (Medaglia d’Oro) record-breaking margin of victory
in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), but wilted to finish more than 29 lengths behind in
sixth. After rebounding in the Acorn, Gabby’s Golden Gal stumbled at the start
and trailed home last of nine in the Prioress S. (G1) on July 4.
Gabby’s Golden Gal, who broke her maiden over the Santa Anita Pro-Ride in
February for her only synthetic score in three attempts, will be guided by Mike
Smith for the first time in the seven-furlong La Brea.
EVITA ARGENTINA (Candy Ride [Arg]) has enjoyed a similar hit-or-miss
campaign, taking the course-and-distance San Vicente S. (G2) over males and the
A Gleam H. (G2) over older fillies and mares at Hollywood Park. She’s often
struggled other times, and enters the La Brea off two unplaced efforts in the
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) and Rancho Bernardo H. (G3).
KAYS AND JAYS’s (Macho Uno) introduction to Pro-Ride on Breeders’ Cup weekend
was a positive one, a win in the Cascapedia S. by three parts of a length going
seven-eighths. That was a sharp effort for the bay, who was returning from a
near four-month layoff since her close second-place try in the Azalea S. (G3) at
Calder. STARLARKS (Ire) (Mujahid), whose signature win came in the San Clemente
H. (G2) on grass three back, won her only race on synthetic when taking a
handicap event on Polytrack at Great Leighs in Britain.
AMAZED BY GRACE (Bowman’s Band) exits a stakes score at Philadelphia Park,
but her five-race win streak might be in jeopardy in her first try on Pro-Ride.
Recent allowance winners ALICE’S SMART (Smart Strike), DANI REESE (High Demand)
and PINKARELLA (Malibu Moon) don’t look out of place in the spot, nor does the
other Baffert entrant, MOTHER RUTH (Speightstown), who placed in a minor stakes
at Aqueduct last time and narrowly missed in her debut at Santa Anita back in
March.
The overwhelming favorite in the $100,000
Sir
Beaufort S. (G3), a one-mile grass test for three-year-olds, should be THE
USUAL Q. T. (Unusual Heat), who enters on a five-race win streak that includes
recent the Hollywood Derby (G1), Oak Tree Derby (G2) and California Cup Mile,
the latter over this course and distance. Among the more logical threats are
MASSONE (Menifee), who has been earning minor checks in a variety of graded
stakes on dirt, turf and synthetic all season; GALLANT SON (Malabar Gold), who
took Santa Anita’s one-mile Pasadena S. back in March in his only previous try
on grass; and last-out Contested Bid S. one-two RIVIERA COCKTAIL (Giant’s
Causeway) and PLEASURE TO RIDE (Candy Ride [Arg]).
The stakes action kicks off Saturday with the $100,000
California
Breeders’ Champion S. for state-bred or sired two-year-olds, which will be
run at 1 1/16 miles for the first time since 1961. LA NEZ (Storm Creek), the
only filly in the field of 10, captured the California Cup Juvenile Fillies in
between a third in the Darley Debutante (G1) and a sixth in the Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile Fillies Turf. She will meet the likes of Graduation S. victor WOLF TAIL
(Strive) and CARACORTADO (Cat Dreams), who is undefeated in three starts.