Santa Margarita Stakes 2015 at Santa Anita

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - Santa Anita in Arcadia, California will play host to the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes on Saturday, March 14. Fillies and mares four years old and upward when they go 1 1/8 miles on Santa Anita's dirt track searching for the winner's share of the $400,000 purse.

A competitive group of seven older females have been confirmed for the Santa Margarita - race 8 on Santa Anita's Saturday card. Post time is 4:00 PM. Let's take a peek into the past performances of all seven entries for this intriguing Grade 1 stakes.

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2015 Santa Margarita Stakes Race Favorite Entries

Warren's Veneda - Craig Lewis trained mare has been steadily improving the last four or so months culminating with a terrific win last time out by 3 3/4 lengths in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes here February 14 and a nice win by 5 1/2 lengths in the minor Paseana Stakes here January 11. Before those scores was a good second behind Tiz Midnight in the Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes at Los Alamitos and a third in the minor Betty Grable Stakes in November. She placed in just one of five starts prior to that - it's safe to say that she enters in the best form of her career. Warren's Veneda looks for her third straight win and looks like the one to beat Saturday. Tyler Baze has the mount from the outside post 7in Warren's Veneda's first try at 1 1/8 miles.

Cassatt - Larry Jones trained filly enters on a nice three race win streak - all gate-to-wire wins - all listed stakes action at three different tracks. Last time out it came in the Houston Ladies Classic January 24 after the Tiffany Lass Stakes December 21 and the Zia Park Oaks in November. She also won the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks in August but followed that with a fifth in the Grade 1 Cotillion and a ninth in the Grade 2 Raven Run before her three race streak. Cassatt has an impressive six wins and a second place finish in nine career starts, she looks to bring the speed Saturday and enters in terrific form. Kerwin Clark gets the call from post 2.

Santa Margarita Stakes 2015 | Remaining Contenders

Tiz Midnight - Bob Baffert trained mare has placed in eight of 10 career starts but enters off a career worst performance - a sixth as 3-5 favorite behind Warren's Veneda among others in the minor Paseana Stakes here January 11 after a nice win ahead of Warren's Veneda in the Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes at Los Alamitos in December and a sixth in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. Those results followed a good second in her stakes debut - behind Beholder in the Grade 1 Zenyatta September 27 and a three race win streak - an Allowance Optional score at Del Mar September 1, another Allowance Optional Claiming win on that same track August 2 and a maiden score in her fourth career start. Tiz Midnight has been inconsistent lately with two off the board finishes in her last three but has shown good form in the past. Martin Garcia has been tabbed with getting a little consistency back - from post 5.

Dame Dorothy - impressive Todd Pletcher trained filly has just six career starts - five wins and a third place finish. She enters off a nice 2 length win in the listed Florida Sunshine Millions Distaff which followed an OK third in the Grade 3 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct November 29, a win in the Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm Stakes at Belmont Park in October and a win in her stakes debut - the minor Malvern Rose Stakes in August. Dame Dorothy has been superb in her career so car and is expected to be competitive again Saturday. She will have Rafael Bejarano in the saddle from post 3.

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Thegirlinthatsong - Jerry Hollendorfer trained filly had 11 starts last year with two wins, two seconds and three third place finishes. She posted two wins early in the year - an Allowance in March and the minor Texas Stallion S. Got Koto Stakes in May and placed in four of six starts to end the year including - a second in the minor Zia Park Oaks November 26, a second in the minor Remington Park Oaks September 28 and a good third in the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar August 31. She started her 2015 campaign off with a bang - a terrific win over Lexie Lou at 6-1 odds by 4 1/2 lengths in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes on this track January 17 and was most recently third behind Warren's Veneda and Uzziel as 9-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes here February 14. She has been very competitive the last eight months and has a win, two seconds and three third place finishes in her last seven starts. The legend Mike Smith gets the mount from gate 4.

Uzziel - has 12 career starts with four wins, a second and two third place finishes and is coming off a career-best effort - a second at 52-1 odds behind Warren's Veneda in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes here February 14. Before that was a fifth in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes here December 26 and consecutive sixth place finishes - an Allowance at Del Mar November 28 and the Grade 3 LA Woman Stakes on this track in October. She won the minor Beverly J. Lewis Stakes at Los Alamitos in September, had a third in the minor Daisycutter Handicap at Del Mar in August and another minor stakes win - the Santa Paula Stakes here in April as well. Uzziel will be out to improve upon an impressive effort last time out when she leaves from gate 6 with Kent Desormeaux in the irons.

Legacy - John Sadler trained mare recorded her first stakes win in July - the minor Cypress Stakes July 6 after a sixth in the Grade 2 Adoration Stakes in May and a second behind the terrific Beholder in the minor Santa Lucia Stakes April 20. She has struggled a tad lately however - consecutive fourths ahead of this race - last time out in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes February 14 and in the minor Paseana Stakes here January 11 followed an OK third in the Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes, an eighth in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes at Santa Anita November 2 and a sixth in the minor Tranquility Lake Stakes at Del Mar in August. She has three wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in 18 career starts and enters in so-so form. Joe Talamo has been tabbed to ride from the rail.


2015 Santa Margarita Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 8 on Santa Anita Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:01 PM.

Entry Horse Jockey Trainer ML Odds
1 Legacy J. Talamo J. Sadler
20-1
2 Cassatt K. Clark J. Jones
3-1
3 Dame Dorothy R. Bejarano T. Pletcher
5-2
4 Thegirlinthatsong M. Smith J. Hollendorfer
9-2
5 Tiz Midnight M. Garcia B. Baffert
4-1
6 Uzziel K. Desormeaux J. Desormeaux
12-1
7 Warren's Veneda T. Baze C. Lewis
2-1