"She's one of the best at this juncture," he said. "She's the champion 2-year-old (filly) and won easily the two times I've ridden her. Being by Storm Cat just makes her that much more powerful. She definitely tops the list." She breaks from the rail at equal weight with her opponents of 121 pounds. Sweet Catomine is the only graded stakes winner in the field. California-bred Memorette came closest, nearly upsetting Sharp Lisa in the one-mile Las Virgenes (gr. I) Feb. 12 at Santa Anita. She finished second after leading in the stretch, losing by three-quarters of a length.
Charming Colleen, also in the Oaks field, finished third in the Las Virgenes, six lengths behind Memorette.Doug O'Neill, the meet's leading trainer, sends out two fillies, including the undefeated Cream Donut Keith, an invader from Philadelphia Park where she won her debut race by nearly eight lengths. A New Jersey-bred daughter of Lion Hearted owned by J. Paul Reddam, she won her next start at Santa Anita by five lengths, going six furlongs in 1:10 flat on Feb. 3. "She's doing great," O'Neill said. "If she routes as good as she sprints, she should be tough." O'Neill's other entrant is Guaranteed Victory, a maiden winner who was second to Revealed by 1 1/2 lengths in an allowance/optional claiming event at Santa Anita Feb.10.$300,000 Santa Anita Oaks, 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles
PP. Horse, Jockey
1. Sweet Catomine, Corey Nakatani
2. Memorette, Kent Desormeaux
3. She Sings, Jon Court
4. Feel The Heat, Alex Solis
5. Guaranteed Victory, Rene Douglas
6. Charming Colleen, Pat Valenzuela
7. Cream Donut Keith, Tyler Baze
Each carries 121 pounds.
