Accuracy won her previous two starts by a combined 22 ¼ lengths. (Benoit Photo)
Against A Stacked Field In The Grade I, $300,000 La Brea Stakes
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.—It’s now into the deep water for rising star Accuracy, who makes her stakes debut against an All-Star cast of 3-year-old fillies set to go in the Grade I, $300,000 La Brea Stakes presented by Don Julio at seven furlongs on opening day of the Santa Anita Classic Meet next Thursday.
Accuracy, trained by Michael McCarthy for New York-based owner Mike Repole, has won her previous two starts by a combined 22 ¼ lengths. In her maiden win going 1 1/16 miles in October at Santa Anita, Accuracy aired by 15 lengths when winning in a final time of 1:42.44. That effort earned a lofty 107 Beyer Speed Figure, which is the second-highest posted by a female horse this year. Only Thorpedo Anna, this year’s likely Horse of the Year, has earned a higher Beyer.
Accuracy will be cutting back to a sprint for the first time since her debut in August at Del Mar. Most recently, Accuracy romped by 7 1/4 lengths in a one-mile allowance race at Del Mar on Nov. 29. By Arrogate, she is 4: 2-0-2 with $83,400 in earnings. Regular rider Umberto Rispoli has the call on Accuracy.
Set to take on Accuracy in the La Brea are seven stakes winners, six at the graded level, including Grade I winner Tamara.
Trained by Richard Mandella, Tamara will be making her second start following more than a year layoff. On Nov. 15, Tamara returned in a one-mile classified allowance at Del Mar and was beaten a nose by Sandy Bottom, who is also entered in the La Brea.
Last year, Tamara won the GI Del Mar Debutante going seven furlongs and then finished seventh as the odds-on favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in November at Santa Anita. By Bolt d’Oro, Tamara is 4: 2-1-0 with $261,400 in earnings for owner-breeder Spendthrift Farm. She will have Hall of Famer Mike Smith in the irons.
A pair of entrants, One Magic Philly and Sugar Fish, come into the La Brea after running in separate races at the Breeders’ Cup.
One Magic Philly finished sixth in the seven-furlong Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Prior to that effort, the Good Magic filly won her stakes debut in the GIII Chillingworth going 6 ½ furlongs in October at Santa Anita.
Trained by Phil D’Amato, One Magic Philly is 5: 3-1-0 with $181,400 in earnings for owner-breeder John Gallegos. She will have Flavien Prat aboard for the first time.
Sugar Fish cuts back in distance after finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar. Trained by Jeff Mullins, Sugar Fish is 4-for-6 at Santa Anita which includes wins this year in the GII Summertime Oaks in June and the GII Zenyatta in September.
By Accelerate, Sugar Fish is 9: 4-1-0 with $370,040 in earnings for owners Talla Racing and Sweetwater Stable. Regular rider Tyler Baze has the call.
Trainer Bob Baffert has four entered including graded-stakes winners Hope Road and Kinza. Rounding out Baffert’s quartet are promising allowance winners Cavalieri and Splendora.
Hope Road is a perfect 4-for-4 this year which includes wins in the GIII Torrey Pines in August and the GIII Bayakoa last month, both going a mile at Del Mar. Owned by Cicero Farms, Hope Road is 7: 4-2-0 with $318,020 in earnings. The Quality Road filly will be ridden by Juan Hernandez.
Kinza hasn’t started since finishing second as the odds-on favorite in the GII Santa Anita Oaks in April. Prior to that effort, the Carpe Diem filly won both the GIII Las Virgenes and GIII Santa Ysabel at Santa Anita.
Kinza is 4: 3-0-1 with $219,000 in earnings for trainer Michael Lund Petersen. She will be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez.
The La Brea is one of six graded stakes on a blockbuster opening-day program at Santa Anita. First post is at 11 a.m. PT with admission gates set to open at 9 a.m.
