Book Review, fresh off victory at 9-2 in the Grade I La Brea Stakes
on opening day, and
Lady of Fifty, an impressive winner of the Grade II
Bayakoa Handicap on Dec. 8, each seek consecutive victories as they head
a field of six in Sunday’s Grade II, $150,000 La Canada Stakes for
4-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles.
In her first start for Bob Baffert, Book Review rallied from off
the pace to take the seven furlong La Brea, winning by a neck while
covering the distance in 1:22.40. In her only try at the La Canada
distance of 1 1/16 miles, she was a handy 4 ½ length winner of a
restricted stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 24.
Her two-turn win at Belmont was accomplished from off the pace,
suggesting jockey Rafael Bejarano should have little trouble getting her
off the pace if he so chooses.
A daughter of Giant’s Causeway, Book Review was bred in Kentucky
by her owners, Gary and Mary West. From a record of 10-5-2-1, she has
earnings of $594,955.
Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Lady of Fifty is in search of her
third consecutive win on Sunday, as she was a winner of the $66,000
Palm Springs Handicap two races back at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.
Rank early, Lady of Fifty went on to a 3 ¼ length win in the
Bayakoa at Betfair Hollywood Park, earning her a solid Beyer Speed
figure of 92. A Kentucky-bred filly by After Market, she will break
from post position two and figures to be on the early lead with Martin
Garcia in the La Canada.
Owned by Hollendorfer and George Todaro, Lady of Fifty is a
perfect two for two at the La Canada distance. Her overall mark is
11-6-0-3, good for earnings of $320,000.
Ragin Cajun Eric Guillot will saddle Open Water, who rallied
stoutly under Corey Nakatani to finish second in the Bayakoa at odds of
10-1. Stakes-placed in two turf races at Del Mar, Guillot sent the
daughter of Include to Belmont Park on Sept. 15, where she ran fifth,
beaten 2 ½ lengths, in the Grade I Garden City Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on
turf.
She was then a close fifth in the Grade III, one mile turf
Autumn Miss Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 27, prior to trying synthetic
Cushion Track in the Bayakoa. She has two third-place finishes from
three lifetime tries on natural dirt.
Owned by Southern Equine Stable, LLC and Smith, Open Water has $180,500 in earnings from an overall mark of 12-2-2-3.
More Chocolate, who stepped up out of allowance company to press
the pace, make the lead, and finish third, beaten 2 ½ lengths going 1
1/8 miles on turf in the Grade III Robert J. Frankel Stakes on Dec. 30,
could press the pace again on Sunday in her first main track try.
Trained by John Sadler and owned by Michael Talla, More
Chocolate is a Kentucky-bred filly by Malibu Moon who will be ridden for
the second time in a row by Garrett Gomez. She has earned $92,790 from
a mark of 7-2-1-1.
Sadler will also out Ubelongtomemissy, an invader from South
Florida who last started at Calder on Oct. 4, finishing second, beat a
nose in a 1 1/16 miles allowance race. A Kentucky-bred daughter of
Belong to Me, she has two second-place finishes from three lifetime
starts on dirt.
Speedy Willa B Awesome, an upset winner of the Grade I Santa
Anita Oaks last March, is the lone California-bred in the field and she
comes off a sixth-place finish in the Bayakoa. She’ll again be handled
by Martin Pedroza, who was the architect of not only the Santa Anita
Oaks score, but three other stakes tallies as well.
Trained by Walther Solis, the daughter of Awesome Gambler has an
outstanding main track record of 6-3-2-0. She has amassed earnings of
$630,896 from an overall mark of 18-5-3-4. She is owned by Daniels or
London or Winters and partners.
The complete field for the La Canada, which will be run as
Sunday’s seventh race on a nine-race program with jockey and weights in
post position order: Open Water, Corey Nakatani, 118; Lady of Fifty,
Martin Garcia, 123; Book Review, Rafael Bejarano, 118; Willa B Awesome,
Martin Pedroza, 120; Ubelongtomemissy, Joe Talamo, 118, and More
Chocolate, Garrett Gomez, 118.