My Miss Aurelia, an overwhelming choice as Eclipse Award-winning
2-year-old filly for 2012, heads a field of seven in Wednesday’s Grade
I, $300,000 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, My Miss Aurelia tasted defeat for the first
time when an impressive second, beaten 1 ½ lengths, to Horse of the Year
candidate Royal Delta in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic
at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.
Although she’s shortening up from 1 1/8 miles, the Kentucky-bred
daughter of Smart Strike has three sprint victories to her credit and
drilled five furlongs in a bullet 59 flat on Dec. 12, indicating she’s
on edge for the La Brea. Her star-studded resume includes three grade I
wins; the Frizette at Belmont Park, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
at Churchill Downs, and the Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing and Casino
in Pennsylvania.
Bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings and owned by
Stonestreet Stables and George Bolton, My Miss Aurelia has been
installed as the solid La Brea favorite at 4-5 by Morning Line Maker
John White. My Miss Aurelia has earnings of $2,386,000 from a record of
7-6-1-0.
Trainer Peter Miller is hoping for an upset in the La Brea, as
he sends out the aptly named Reneesgotzip, who comes off a neck victory
in the six furlong Skillfull Joy Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park on
Dec. 1. Owned by the Lanni Family Trust, the Kentucky-bred daughter of
City Zip was third, beaten 1 ¾ lengths by Mizdirection, in the Breeders’
Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 3.
Reneesgotzip drew post three and will have to contend early with
the speedy Nechez Dawn, who drew alongside in post two and who was
second to “Renee” in the Skillfull Joy. Reneesgotzip has banked
$454,460 from a record of 9-5-2-1.
Baffert will saddle three in the La Brea: Book Review, Candrea
and Mama Kimbo. Book Review, previously trained by Chad Brown, finished
a disappointing fifth in the Grade I Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov.
24. Owned and bred by Gary and Mary West, Book Review, by Giant’s
Causeway, has a record of 9-4-2-1, with earnings of $414,955.
Lightly raced Mama Kimbo broke her maiden at first asking at
Santa Anita on Feb. 12, earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure while covering
six furlongs in 1:07.60 and winning by 5 ½ lengths. She won the Grade
II Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park in her next start on April 11, and
then tired badly to finish fourth as the even-money favorite in the
Grade II Black Eyed Susan at Pimlico Racecourse on May 18. At odds of
3-5, she finished second, beaten a neck by stablemate Candrea, in a
classified allowance race going 6 ½ furlongs on Nov. 29 at Betfair
Hollywood.
Owned by Peachtree Stable, Mama Kimbo has earnings of $242,000 from a record of 4-2-1-0.
Candrea, owned by Pegram, Watson or Weitman, will try to make it
two-in-a-row in the La Brea and will again get the services of Martin
Garcia. A Florida-bred filly by Trippi, she has a record of 10-3-2-0
and earnings of $163,980.
The afore-mentioned Nechez Dawn, trained by Jeff Bonde, will
again be ridden by Edwin Maldonado, who comes off his first major meet
riding title in California at Betfair Hollywood Park. Nechez Dawn is
owned by Ten Broeck Farm and has earnings of $167,400 from a record of
7-4-1-0.
Creditcardroulette will attempt to take a big step forward as
she comes off a first-condition allowance tally at six furlongs on Dec.
1. Trained by Tom Proctor and owned by Glenn Hill Farm, she’ll be
ridden for the first time by Joel Rosario.
The complete field for the La Brea Stakes, which will be run as
race four, with jockey and weights in post position order: Mamma Kimbo,
Mike Smith, 118; Nechez Dawn, Edwin Maldonado, 118; Reneesgotzip,
Garrett Gomez, 118; Creditcardroulette, Joel Rosario, 118; My Miss
Aurelia, Corey Nakatani, 123; Candrea, Martin Garcia, 118, and Book
Review, Rafael Bejarano, 118.