Tiz Flirtatious seeks perfect mark in La Canada; Drill heads San Pedro

Last updated: 1/19/12 6:15 PM

Tiz Flirtatious seeks perfect mark in La Canada; Drill
heads San Pedro

Tiz Flirtatious will face graded rivals for the first time in the La Canada
(Benoit Photos)

Unbeaten homebred Tiz Flirtatious gets tested for both distance and
class among eight four-year-old fillies entered in Santa Anita’s 38th
running of the Grade 2, $150,000

La Canada Stakes going 1 1/16 miles on Sunday.

The California-bred daughter of Tizbud has methodically ascended the
class ladder for trainer Marty Jones with three impressive victories
that have seen her odds drop accordingly. She went from 9-1 (maiden win)
to 3-1 (allowance victory) and finally to 9-5 when capturing Hollywood
Park’s Cat’s Cradle Handicap by 1 1/2 lengths at 7 1/2 furlongs on
December 11.

Joel Rosario will be back aboard when Tiz Flirtatious attempts to
prove she is a graded-quality filly of distance proportions while
stretching out in a lineup that includes a pair of graded winners.

Among those with whom Tiz Flirtatious will have to contend are Great
Hot, winner of Keeneland’s Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes, and May Day Rose, a
dual Grade 3 scorer. May Day Rose is actually the most accomplished of
the La Canada entrants but has been beaten in her last four, including a
head loss in Churchill Downs’ Grade 2 Chilukki Stakes on November 5.

The Rockport Harbor filly, trained by Bob Baffert, appears to have an
excellent opportunity to return to the winner’s circle in this spot. She figures
to be in front under jockey Martin Garcia, and could prove difficult to catch in
a relatively paceless lineup.

Brazilian-bred Great Hot, coming off three seven-furlong stakes that include
a third in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes on New Year’s Eve, gave a good account of
herself at 1 1/16 miles in last fall’s Grade 1 Lady’s Secret Stakes at Santa
Anita. The Orientate four-year-old ran third in that contest and won Del Mar’s
Torrey Pines Stakes at one mile prior to that.

“She’s versatile,” trainer A. C. Avila said of Great Hot, who will have
Chantal Sutherland back aboard. “She can go (on the pace), she can sit, she can
do whatever she wants.”

Big Tiz shows but a single victory in nine starts, but the daughter of Tiznow
has been unplaced just once while contending against top competition. She ran
second to Turbulent Descent at odds of 37-1 in the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet
Stakes as a two-year-old, finished third behind May Day Rose in the Grade 3
Railbird Stakes last May, and opened her four-year-old season with a third in
the Kalookan Queen Handicap. Corey Nakatani will handle the bay filly trained by
Mark Glatt.

Drill could return to the winner’s circle while cutting back to sprints
(Benoit Photos)

Earlier on Santa Anita’s Sunday card, Grade 1 victor Drill will return to the
sprint game in the the 21st running of the $75,000
San
Pedro Stakes for three-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs

Trained by Bob Baffert, the dark bay colt’s last race at less than a mile
came when he captured the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity going seven furlongs on
September 7. The Lawyer Ron offspring has regressed significantly since being
stretched out.

After finishing second as the 3-5 favorite in the Grade 1 Norfolk Stakes on
October 1, Drill went downhill in a hurry against topflight competition. He was
well beaten in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot and
Grade 1 CashCall Futurity. Garcia has ridden the sophomore in all but his maiden
win and retains the mount for the San Pedro.

Drill’s opposition in the San Pedro includes Got Even, who is fresh off a 4
1/4-length victory for trainer Peter Miller in the $100,000 California Breeders’
Championship Stakes on December 26, and Midnight Transfer, a swift 4 3/4-length
maiden breaker on the same day at Santa Anita.