Anisette in a morning gallop at Santa Anita. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Autumn Meet Closing Day Early 1st Post Time At 12 Noon With Mandatory Payouts
Mike Willman/Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.—A Grade I winner who has won three out of her four Southern California starts, English-bred Anisette heads a field of 11 sophomore fillies going one mile on turf in Sunday’s Grade III, $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes at Santa Anita.
Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partner and trained by Leonard Powell, the Central Banker filly, who was one for three in her native England, was most recently second, beaten 1 ¾ lengths by the talented multiple graded stakes winning Argentine-bred Didia, who figures prominently at 8-1 in Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
A 2 ½ length winner of the Grade II San Clemente Stakes at on mile on turf three starts back on July 22, Anisette was a subsequent 2 ¾ length winner of the Grade I Del Mar Oaks at a mile and one eighth on grass Aug. 19.
Unbeaten in two starts at one mile on turf, Anisette has a solid turn of foot and should be tough to beat under regular rider Umberto Rispoli. With four wins and two seconds from seven overall starts, Anisette has earnings of $406,871.
Idle since third by three lengths to Anisette in the Grade I Del Mar Oaks Aug. 19, Irish-bred Impact Warrior has a similar come from behind running style and could certainly improve in what will be her third stateside start with Phil D’Amato. Owned by Martin Schwartz, Impact Warrior, who has two seconds from three tries at one mile on turf, rallied to finish a close second at the trip in her U.S. debut, a first condition allowance at Del Mar July 29.
A winner of one of her four Irish starts, Impact Warrior is 6-1-2-1 and will be ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat.
Very much on the improve through five starts on dirt, Richard Mandella’s Coffee in Bed, who comes off a smashing 3 ¼ length one mile first condition allowance win Oct. 9, earning a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure, retains the services of Juan Hernandez as she seeks her first stakes victory in what will be her first time on turf.
A $500,000 Keeneland September Yearling, Coffee in Bed, a daughter of Curlin out of the Hennessy mare Sumptuous, is owned by Spendthrift Farm, LLC.
An ungraded stakes winner three starts back going 7 ½ furlongs on turf at Gulfstream Park April 1, Christophe Clement’s English-bred Breath Away has been idle since finishing fifth in an ungraded turf stakes June 24 and looms dangerous fresh with Joel Rosario riding back.
Owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco and Uniform Racing, LLC, Breath Away, a first-out maiden winner going 7 ½ furlongs on grass at Gulfstream, has two wins and as many seconds from five starts.
THE GRADE III AUTUMN MISS
Race 8 of 10 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT
1 Breath Away—Joel Rosario—120
2 Impact Warrior—Flavien Prat—120
3 Be Your Best—Hector Berrios—120
4 Anisette—Umberto Rispoli—124
5 Justique—Mike Smith—120
6 Alternate Rock—Kyle Frey–120
7 Star of the Night—Antonio Fresu—120
8 Coffee in Bed—Juan Hernandez—120
9 Free and Humble—Sheldon Russell—120
10 Tea N Conversation—Luis Saez—120
12 Ruby Nell—Edwin Maldonado–120
With both the Grade III Autumn Miss and the Grade II Goldikova Stakes highlighting Sunday’s 10-race card, fans are advised there will be early first post on Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet closing day at 12 noon, along with mandatory payouts in all exotic wagers. Admission gates will open at 10 a.m.
