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Mike Willman/Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.—In what will be her initial stakes engagement, Spendthrift Farm’s up and coming Anacapa merits serious consideration among a field of eight fillies and mares going six furlongs in Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita.
Trained by Carla Gaines, Anacopa, a 3-year-old daughter of two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Tiznow, will shorten up out of a big gate to wire allowance score at a flat mile on Dec. 2 at Del Mar. Off at 4-5, she won by 2 ¼ lengths in a field of seven.
Although ridden by Flavien Prat on Dec. 2, Anacapa will be reunited with Joe Bravo in the Las Flores, with Prat possibly opting for recent multiple stakes winner Samurai Charm.
A gate to wire maiden winner at six furlongs in her second start (first on dirt) four starts back on July 22, Anacapa, who earned a career-best 86 Beyer Speed Figure on Dec. 2, has proven one-turn ability and should be plenty tough in what will be her seventh career start.
With Prat climbing aboard for the first time, trainer Peter Miller is looking to win his third consecutive stakes with Samurai Charm, who comes off a pair of six furlong wins in ungraded events at Zia Park on Oct. 31 and Nov. 22.
A 5-year-old mare by First Samurai, Samurai Charm, who is owned by Downstream Racing, LLC, will be looking for her first graded stakes victory in what will be her 14th career start. With a Las Flores-best last out Beyer of 92, Samurai Charm is 7-2-2 overall with earnings of $312,660
Lady T, who rallied from off the pace and just missed by a nose in a six-furlong allowance Nov. 27 at Del Mar, will hope to be rolling late for John Shirreffs as she seeks her first graded stakes win. Owned by Jerry and Tina Moss, Lady T, a 3-year-old filly by Into Mischief, was second, beaten 1 ¼ lengths going a mile and one sixteenth four starts back in the Grade II Summertime Oaks, a race in which she posted a career-top 89 Beyer.
With regular rider Victor Espinoza back aboard, Lady T brings an overall mark of 10-1-6-0 and earnings of $169,700.
First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12 noon, with admission gates opening at 10 a.m.
