Well-matched group of nine entered for Santa Ysabel

Light the City (left) just missed to Callback in the Las Virgenes last out (Benoit Photos) Santa Anita Park will host just one stakes race on Saturday, but that contest offers up a total of 85 points toward a starting berth in the May 1 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. The $100,000 Santa Ysabel S. (G3) will award the winner 50 points, second-place 20, third-place 10 and fourth-place five on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Nine fillies will take their chances in the 1 1/16-mile affair, including stakes victress Light the City (Street Sense). The bay lass, one of three Jerry Hollendorfer-trained runners in the race, captured her initial two starts last year and closed out her juvenile campaign with a third-place effort in the Desi Arnaz S. in mid-November. She was unable to factor in the Santa Ynez S. (G2) in her sophomore bow on January 3, but returned last out to just miss by a half-length in the Las Virgenes S. (G1) while stretching out to a mile for the first time. Light the City was piloted by Kent Desormeaux for the first time in the Las Virgenes, and he retains the mount on Saturday. There are any number in the Santa Ysabel with a chance on Saturday, Danette (Curlin) being one of them. Desormeaux got off the filly trained by his brother Keith Desormeaux to ride Light the City, leaving the way clear for Fernando Perez to take the mount on the maiden. Despite boasting eight career races thus far, Danette has yet to visit the winner’s circle. The bay miss finished third in last year’s Chandelier S. (G1) and was fifth, beaten only 1 1/2 lengths, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) in her penultimate start of the season. She returned to the maiden ranks last out, running second, and will break from the rail in the Santa Ysabel.

Achiever’s Legacy (City Zip) is another Hollendorfer runner and actually beat
Light the City as winner of the Desi Arnaz last November. The chestnut filly
found herself finishing behind her stablemate recently when third in the Las
Virgenes, and gets a major jockey switch to Gary Stevens for this one.

There are three last-out maiden winners entered on Saturday, with Enchanting
Lady (Tale of the Cat) the most impressive having gotten past that initial
hurdle in a stakes. The Bob Baffert trainee crossed under the wire second in her
debut last May but returned a month later to take the Landaluce S. by 6 1/4
lengths. Though unraced since then, the dark bay filly has been working up a
storm at Santa Anita in anticipation of her return to competition, including a
six-furlong bullet move two weeks ago.

Stellar Wind (Curlin) also missed in her first attempt, running third at
Laurel Park in late November, then romped by 8 3/4 lengths a month later while
stretching out to a mile. The Virginia-bred chestnut made those two starts for
trainer Donald Barr but will be saddled for the first time by John Sadler in
this spot.

Curlin’s Fox (Curlin), the other maiden winner, scored in her debut on
February 1 going about 6 1/2 furlongs on Santa Anita’s downhill turf course.
She’ll be stretching out while trying the main track here for Carla Gaines, as
will the Graham Motion-trained Rainha Da Bateria (Broken Vow). That filly has
only ever competed on grass, including a victory in the Jessamine S. (G3) last
October at Keeneland.

Rattataptap (Tapit), a 4 3/4-length allowance/optional claiming winner on
January 29, and Hollendorfer’s California Oaks runner-up Glory (Tapit) complete
the Santa Ysabel field.

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