Vale Dori continued her dominance of the older female division in Southern California with another her third straight grade 2 score Feb. 11 in the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
Each week BloodHorse.com looks forward to the weekend's biggest races. Consider this your weekly guide to the best stakes races in North America. This week Tampa Bay Downs gets the spotlight with three graded stakes Saturday.
In the absence of champions Songbird and Stellar Wind, who are still working toward their 2017 debuts, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum's Vale Dori has been scooping up plenty of cash in the older female division in Southern California.
A tough-luck finisher in two graded stakes runs in the past year, Stonestreet Stable's homebred Tara's Tango broke through Feb. 13 in the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park.
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.
Arch, the sire of 11 grade I winners, died Jan. 20 of an apparent heart attack, according to Bernie Sams, representative of Claiborne Farm near Paris, Ky., where the 21-year-old son of Kris S. stood at stud.
Warren's Veneda claimed her first graded stakes victory with a wide closing drive to capture the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 14 at Santa Anita Park.
Thegirlinthatsong will look to claim her second straight graded stakes victory in the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 14 at Santa Anita Park.
Graded stakes-placed four times previously in her career, Iotapa broke through with a front-running tally in the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 15 at Santa Anita Park.
TimeformUS Weekend Plays from Santa Anita, Golden Gate and Oaklawn read blog
Multiple graded stakes winner Fiftyshadesofhay heads a field of seven older females entered for the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes (gr. II) on Feb. 15 at Santa Anita Park, seeking her first win of 2014.
One of the feel-good stories of the 2012 World Championships, Groupie Doll returns to defend her title in the Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) off a 2013 season in some ways different and in other ways similar to 2012.
Goldencents made a solid return to sprinting one month ago when second by a head in the Bing Crosby Stakes, and the Santa Anita Derby winner is back on the Del Mar main track Aug. 25 facing 12 in the Pat O'Brien Stakes.
Trainer Ron Ellis is taking a patient approach with Include Me Out as the 5-year-old mare prepares to defend her title in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirch Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 3 at Del Mar.
by John P. Sparkman
Whiteley's arrangement with Richard and Audrey Haisfield's Stonewall Farm to support their young stallion Medaglia d'Oro resulted indirectly in the recent Palm Beach S. (gr. IIIT) winner Rydilluc.
Joyful Victory, shipping to Southern California from New Orleans, has a golden opportunity to secure her first grade I victory in the $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Stakes March 16 at Santa Anita Park.
Great Hot returned to the Winner's Circle in the Santa Maria thanks to heady ride from Gary Stevens. More
Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens stole the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes (gr. II) aboard outsider Great Hot Feb. 16 for his third consecutive stakes win at Santa Anita Park over the past two weekends.
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer accounts for half the Santa Maria Stakes (gr. II) field of six older fillies and mares at Santa Anita Park Feb. 16, headed by 123-pound high weight Lady of Fifty.
While Groupie Doll's stellar 2012 record puts her in a different league than many of her competitors in the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (gr. I), the favorite will still have to face five other grade I winners.
On a light day for workouts by horses pointing to the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park, Nonios turned some heads with a bullet five-furlong breeze at Betfair Hollywood Park Oct. 24.
Broken Dreams is back to defend her title in the $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes (gr. IIIT) against eight opponents Oct. 20 on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita Park.
An interesting mix of talented fillies and mares, headlined by 2012 grade I winners Include Me Out, Love Theway Youare, and Love and Pride, and will go postward in the Sept. 29 Zenyatta Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park.
Son of Scat Daddy's two wins, including the Willard Proctor Memorial Stakes, puts him atop the field for the $150,000 Hollywood Juvenile Championship (gr. III). The six-furlong event goes as the second race July 14.
Game On Dude seeks the third grade I victory of his career in the $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup July 7 at Betfair Hollywood Park, a race he lost by a nose last year.
| Horse | Trainer | Breeder / Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Ellafitz | Bob Baffert |
|
| Great Hot (BRZ) | A. C. Avila |
|
| Kayce Ace | Eoin G. Harty |
|
| Love Theway Youare | Myung Kwon Cho |
|
| Miss Mittagong | Ben D. A. Cecil |
|
| Spirit Seeker | Doug F. O'Neill |
|
| Vision in Gold | Ronald W. Ellis |
|
| Race | Track | Date |
|---|---|---|
| TaWee S. | IND | |
| Osunitas S. | DMR | |
| Schuylerville S. (G3) | SAR | |
| Lake George S. (G3T) | SAR | |
| Albuquerque Distaff H. | ALB |
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