Edited track releaseGoing into the Hollywood Starlet on Dec. 14, Composure was coming off a narrow loss to Storm Flag Flying in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and Elloluv was coming off a victory in a six-furlong race for maidens.
Elloluv -- at odds of 30-1 -- beat 1-5 favorite Composure in the Starlet, the final grade I race of the year for 2-year-old fillies. She opened her 2003 campaign by winning the grade II Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita Park on Jan. 20.
Composure sat that one out, but will make her 3-year-old debut Sunday in the $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita Park, the first grade I race of the year for 3-year-old fillies. Elloluv also is in the field, chasing her fourth consecutive victory.
Neither filly will be 30-1 in the Las Virgenes, nor will either be 1-5. But they head a cast of six runners entered Friday for the one-mile race being run for the 21st time.
Composure is a daughter of 1997 Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold and trained by Bob Baffert. Owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis of Newport Beach, Calif., she has won two of her six starts, most recently capturing the Oak Leaf Stakes in October during the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita. Jerry Bailey takes over the riding assignment from Mike Smith.
Elloluv, owned by J. Paul Reddam of Irvine, Cal., is trained by Craig Dollase. The winner of three of her four starts, she is a daughter of 1992 Breeders' Cup Juvenile champion Gilded Time. Patrick Valenzuela is her rider.
Elloluv's name derives from the manner in which Zillah Reddam, the owner's English-born wife, greets people.
Watching You and Puxa Saco, second and fourth, respectively, behind Elloluv in the Santa Ynez, also will contest the Las Virgenes. Also in the field are Maddie's Charm, winner of a minor stakes race at Golden Gate Fields in November, and Favola, a British-bred who will be making her North American debut.
The Las Virgenes field, in post position order:
1--Puxa Saco, Mike Smith, 118
2--Favola, Julie Krone, 116
3--Elloluv, Patrick Valenzuela, 122
4--Watching You, Alex Solis, 116
5--Composure, Jerry Bailey, 120
6--Maddie's Charm, Victor Espinoza, 116
