2020 La Brea Stakes Contenders and Odds at Santa Anita

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Santa Anita Park Press Release
Updated: December 21, 2020

In what appears to be a wide-open affair at seven furlongs, Steve Asmussen's Finite and Bob Baffert's Merneith head a field of 11 sophomore fillies in the Grade I, $300,000 La Brea Stakes, one of five graded events on Santa Anita Park's Winter/Spring opening day this Saturday, Dec. 26.

A winner of the Grade III Chilukki Stakes going a one turn mile at Churchill Downs Nov. 21, Finite is a three-time graded stakes winner who seeks her seventh win in what will be her 12th career start.

A winner of her last two starts, Merneith, a daughter of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, seeks her third consecutive win and her first graded stakes win.

The Grade I La Brea, to be contested for the 48th time, is one of five graded stakes on an 11-race card Saturday.

2020 La Brea Stakes Field & Odds

Race 8 at Santa Anita on Saturday, December 26 - Post 5:43 PM

Entry Horse ML Odds Jockey Trainer
1 Princess Mo 50-1 Geovanni Franco
120 Lbs
Ruben Gomez
2 Merneith 4-1 John Velazquez
120 Lbs
Bob Baffert
3 Himiko 8-1 Flavien Prat
120 Lbs
Bob Baffert
4 Secret Keeper 6-1 Abel Cedillo
120 Lbs
Clifford Sise, Jr.
5 Finite 7-2 Ricardo Santana, Jr.
122 Lbs
Steven Asmussen
6 Biddy Duke 12-1 Juan Hernandez
122 Lbs
Doug O'Neill
7 Provocation 12-1 Joel Rosario
120 Lbs
Bob Baffert
8 Motivated Seller 5-1 Umberto Rispoli
120 Lbs
Chad Brown
9 Fair Maiden 12-1 Ricardo Gonzalez
120 Lbs
Eoin Harty
10 Golden Principal 12-1 Mike Smith
120 Lbs
Bob Baffert
11 Stellar Sound 5-1 Victor Espinoza
120 Lbs
Michael McCarthy

FINITE

Fresh off a rousing 2 ½ length win going a one turn mile in the Grade III Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs Nov. 21, this daughter of Munnings will ship west in search of her first Grade I victory. Although she rallied powerfully from off the pace to win the Chilukki, Finite has plenty of natural speed, evidenced by her gate to wire maiden win going 6 ½ furlongs on grass at age two.

With three graded stakes victories and an overall mark of 11-6-3-0, she is the leading money earner in the field with $757,869 and looms the post time favorite.

Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC, Thomas Reiman, William Dickson & Deborah Easter | Trainer: Steve Asmussen

MERNEITH

A game neck winner of an ungraded six furlong stakes at Keeneland on Nov. 7, this daughter of American Pharoah was an emphatic 3 ¼ length allowance winner at the same distance here on Oct. 11 and thus seeks her third consecutive win.

A well beaten third by Horse of the Year candidate Swiss Skydiver in her only graded stakes try, the Grade II Santa Anita Oaks five starts back on June 6, Merneith appears poised for a top effort as Baffert seeks his record eighth La Brea triumph.

Owner: HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud | Trainer: Bob Baffert

MOTIVATED SELLER

Second, beaten a neck by Merneith going six furlongs at Keeneland Nov. 7, this daughter of top sire Into Mischief is very much on the improve for Brown. A six length first-out maiden winner going six furlongs at Gulfstream Park Jan. 12, she was then idle until Oct. 11 at Belmont Park, where she pressed the early pace and registered a 2 ¾ length allowance win at the same distance.

In what will be her fourth career start, Motivated Seller will be trying graded stakes competition for the first time.

Owner: Klaravich Stables, Inc. | Trainer: Chad Brown

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