Grade I winner Birdatthewire will make her second start of 2016 in the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 13 at Santa Anita Park. Santa Anita Park, Saturday, February 13, 2016, Race 8
Although her top-level score came at one turn in the seven-furlong La Brea Stakes (gr. I) Dec. 26 at Santa Anita, she also showed two-turn ability earlier in 2015, when she won the Gulfstream Park Oaks (gr. II) for trainer Dale Romans.
ANGST: Birdatthewire Prevails in La Brea
Since moving under the care of Tom Proctor, the 4-year-old Summer Bird filly owned by Forum Racing IV was no match for Taris in the Jan. 16 La Canada Stakes (gr. II), but she did finish second, ahead of fellow Santa Maria entrant Yahilwa.
DP Racing's Yahilwa, winner of last year's Sixty Sails Handicap (gr. III) at Hawthorne Racecourse, is one of the three graded winners in the field, along with Living The Life, back-to-back winner of the Presque Isle Downs Master Stakes (gr. II) a sprint over a synthetic surface.
Knocking on the door is Stonestreet Stable's Tara's Tango, who finished just a neck back in third last time out in the seven-furlong Santa Monica (gr. II) at Santa Anita Jan. 23. The Unbridled's Song filly also came in second by a nose to champion Stellar Wind in last year's Summertime Oaks (gr. II).
Also entered are graded stakes-placed Gas Total and Kyriaki, along with stakes-placed Star Act and allowance winner Big Break.
Entries: Santa Maria S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Star Act (KY) Tyler Baze 120 Art Sherman 15/1 2 2Gas Total (BRZ) Flavien Prat 120 Richard E. Mandella 6/1 3 3Birdatthewire (KY) Mike E. Smith 122 Thomas F. Proctor 5/2 4 4Big Break (KY) Edwin A. Maldonado 120 Steve Knapp 20/1 5 5Kyriaki (KY) Rafael Bejarano 120 Peter Eurton 12/1 6 6Living The Life (IRE) Gary L. Stevens 120 Gary Mandella 6/1 7 7Yahilwa (KY) Joseph Talamo 120 James M. Cassidy 7/2 8 8Tara's Tango (KY) Martin Garcia 120 Jerry Hollendorfer 2/1
Birdatthewire wins the La Brea Stakes.
Benoit Photo