La Brea Stakes 2015 at Santa Anita

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 1 La Brea Stakes comes our way from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California this Saturday, December 26. A purse of $300,000 will be on the line for three year old fillies willing to go seven furlongs on Santa Anita's main track.

A field of 10 will give it a go in the La Brea Stakes - race 7 on Santa Anita's stacked Saturday schedule. Post time is 3:30 PM. Let's take a look into the past performances of all 10 combatants for this Grade 1 stakes.

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2015 La Brea Stakes Race Favorites

Cavorting 5-2 - has eight career starts with five wins. She enters off a somewhat disappointing fourth as favorite in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint which followed a nice three race win streak - the Grade 2 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga September 16, the Grade 1 Test Stakes August 8 and the minor Jersey Girl Stakes June 5 at Belmont Park. Before that was an ugly ninth in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream February 21, a troubled seventh in the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park October 4, 2014 and a terrific win in the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga August 10 of last year. She also had an 11 length a maiden score in wire-to-wire fashion at Belmont Park July 3, 2014. Cavorting had been mighty impressive before last time out and will be out for a strong bounce back from post 3 with Irad Ortiz guiding the morning line favorite.

Ben's Duchess 3-1 - John Sadler trained filly has hit the board in all nine career starts - four wins, a second and four third place finishes. She enters off a good win in her graded stakes debut - the Grade 3 LA Woman Stakes with a career best 100 Beyer Speed Figure here October 4, a second in her stakes debut - the minor C.E.R.F Stakes at Del Mar September 6 and an Allowance Optional Claiming score in August. Ben's Duchess has been competitive every time out and hopes to be again Saturday from post 5. Joe Talamo will be in charge of getting Ben's Duchess her second straight graded stakes score.

Hot City Girl 3-1 - made her graded stakes debut July 27 and finished fifth in the Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes for trainer Linda Rice. Before that was seven career starts with two wins and two second place finishes. She has found her groove lately and enters on a three race win streak - the $100,000 minor Safely Kept Stakes by an astounding 8 1/4 lengths at Laurel Park November 13, an Allowance Optional Claiming at Belmont Park October 29 and a career defining score by 2 1/2 lengths in the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks in September. Hot City Girl has been as hot as they come and hopes to continue that trend from gate 2 Saturday with Jose Ortiz in the saddle of the morning line co-second choice.

La Brea Stakes 2015 | Remaining Contenders

Birdatthewire 6-1 - made her stakes debut January 24 one to remember - a win by 3 1/4 lengths in the Grade 2 Forward Gal Stakes for trainer Dale Romans and followed that with a decent second behind Ekati's Phaeton in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes February 21 and a good win in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks March 28. She has tailed off in three starts since - a fourth last time out in the Grade 2 Falls City Handicap at Churchill Downs November 26 followed consecutive fifths - the Grade 2 Chilukki Stakes on that same track November 7 and the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks back in May. She now has three wins, two seconds and a third place finish in 10 career starts and hopes to get back to her early/2015 form. Mike Smith has been tabbed with accomplishing that goal from the rail.

Finest City 8-1 - has placed in four of five career starts for trainer Ian Kruljac but races in graded stakes company for the first time Saturday. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Los Alamitos December 3 after a win in a similar race at Del Mar October 31, a fourth in the minor Unzip Me Stakes here in September and a maiden score at Del Mar in August. Finest City has been in every race so far and hopes to continue that trend from the outside post 10 Saturday. Gary Stevens gets the call.

Rattataptap 12-1 - Phil D'Amato trained filly has 11 career starts with three wins, two seconds and a third place finish. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score by an impressive 4 1/2 lengths at Del Mar October 21 which followed a second in a similar race here October 16, a respectable third in the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes August 30 and consecutive off-the-board finishes in graded stakes action this past summer. She has shown improvement in her last three starts and hopes to keep the upward trend going from gate 6 with Tyler Baze guiding her.

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Maybellene 15-1 - Bob Baffert trained filly has 10 career starts with three wins, a second and two third place finishes. She was last seen way back on March 22 winning the minor Sunland Park Oaks thanks to DQ. It followed a fourth in the minor China Doll Stakes March 7, an eighth in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes here January 31 and a respectable third to end her 2014 campaign - the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos. Maybellene hits the track for the first time in nine months Saturday hoping for her first graded stakes score. Rafael Bejarano rides from gate 4.

Lily Pod 20-1 - Richard Baltas trained filly has placed in five of six career starts - a win, two seconds and two third place finishes. She makes her stakes debut Saturday off a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Los Alamitos December 13, a second in a similar race at Del Mar November 14 and a maiden score on this track in October. Lily Pod takes a huge step up in competition from post 5 Saturday with Mario Gutierrez in the reins.

Pleasant Tales 20-1 - Dallas Stewart trained filly has three wins and a second place finish in 12 career starts and enters off her best performance in quite some time - an Allowance score at Churchill Downs November 13. Before that was a twelfth in the Grade 3 Dogwood Stakes on that track in September, a ninth in the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga in August and a fourth in the Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park in June. Pleasant Tales hadn't looked great before last time out and will be looking to hit the board in stakes company for the first time Saturday. James Graham rides from gate 8.

Moyo Honey 20-1 - will hit the track for just the fifth time Saturday for trainer Patrick Gallagher having posted two wins and a second place finish so far. She makes her stakes debut off an Allowance score here October 10, a tenth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Del Mar August 9 and a maiden score here in June. Moyo Honey has looked decent so far but takes a huge step up in competition Saturday. Drayden Van Dyke gets the call from post 9.


2015 La Brea Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 7 on Santa Anita's Saturday card with a Post Time of 6:20 PM.

Entry Horse Jockey Trainer ML Odds
1 Birdatthewire Mike Smith Dale Romans
6-1
2 Hot City Girl Jose Ortiz Linda Rice
3-1
3 Cavorting Irad Ortiz, Jr. Kiaran McLaughlin
5-2
4 Maybellene Rafael Bejarano Bob Baffert
15-1
5 Lily Pod Mario Gutierrez Richard Baltas
20-1
6 Ben's Duchess Joseph Talamo John Sadler
3-1
7 Rattataptap Tyler Baze Philip D'Amato
12-1
8 Pleasant Tales James Graham Dallas Stewart
20-1
9 Moyo Honey Drayden Van Dyke Patrick Gallagher
20-1
10 Finest City Gary Stevens Ian Kruljac
8-1

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