Sharp Lisa tops Santa Ynez; Fallfree faces five in
San Miguel
SHARP LISA (Dixieland Band) heads a contingent of eight entered to Monday’s $150,000 Santa Ynez S. (G2) for three-year-old fillies at Santa Anita.
The sophomore miss comes off a second-place outing to Splendid
Blended (Unbridled’s Song) in the Hollywood Starlet S. (G1) and also finished a
close second in the Alcibiades S. (G2) last October. The Doug O’Neill charge looks like the
one to beat in the seven-furlong test.
In order to earn her first graded victory, she will have to get by a pair of
uncoupled Bob Baffert trainees, 121-pound highweight NO BULL BABY (Indian
Charlie) and MOTHER (Lion Hearted). No Bull Baby comes off a fourth-place outing
in the Hollywood Starlet and captured the Moccasin S. two starts back at
Hollywood Park. Mother rolled to an impressive eight-length maiden win in her
last start with jockey Mike Smith.
All fillies, with the exception of lone stakes winner No Bull Baby, will carry 114 pounds. The
contestants and jockeys from the rail out are Mother, Smith; REVEALED (Old
Trieste), Jon Court; NINADIVINA (Cape Town), Garrett Gomez; NORTHERN MISCHIEF
(Yankee Victor), Gary Stevens; No Bull Baby, Rene Douglas; HOT ATTRACTION
(Pulpit), Victor Espinoza; Sharp Lisa, Tyler Baze; and BULITA (Knockadoon), Pat
Valenzuela.
The San Miguel S. for three-year-olds will take place earlier on the Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. program and
FALLFREE (Falstaff) is among the leading contenders. The chestnut
gelding has yet to put his name at the top of a stakes chart, but he’s earned second-place
finishes in the Graduation S., I’m Smokin S. and Beau
Brummel S., and is a threat to break through with his first black-type score
here. Another danger is BUSHWACKER (Outflanker), who was
pulled up in the Hollywood Futurity (G1) due to jockey Rene Douglas’ saddle
slipping as the pair entered the stretch. In his prior start, Bushwacker
finished a good second to Declan’s Moon (Malibu
Moon) in the Hollywood Prevue S. (G3).
Horses from the rail out with riders and imposts are Bushwacker, Douglas,
114; SENOR FANGO (Mud Route), Valenzuela, 121; GOING WILD (Golden Missile),
Smith, 114; SO LONG BIRDIE (Pioneering), David Flores, 114; GENERAL JOHN B (Sweetsouthernsaint),
Court, 116; Fallfree, Casey Fusilier, 116.