Toupie wires the Unzip Me Sep. 28, 2024, at Santa Anita (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif. — Eastern-based Toupie, who shipped west for trainer Graham Motion and took down the Unzip Me Stakes in September, returns seeking another stakes win on Santa Anita’s unique hillside turf course in Sunday’s Grade III, $100,000 Las Cienegas for fillies and mares going about 6 ½ furlongs.
Toupie won the Unzip Me for 3-year-old fillies going gate-to-wire under Flavien Prat in her first and only start on the hillside turf. She next ran at Aqueduct on Nov. 8 against older horses and checked in fourth in the Autumn Days Stakes going six furlongs on turf. Prat again has the call in the Las Cienegas.
By Uncle Mo, Toupie races as a homebred for Wertheimer and Frere. She is 10: 4-2-1 with $311,775 in earnings.
Laulne returns from an eight-month layoff for trainer Phil D’Amato. Prior to being sidelined, Laulne won the Angels Flight sprinting on the hillside turf course in April and was third in the GIII Senorita over the same layout in May. Both starts came under Antonio Fresu, who will again be in the saddle.
A 4-year-old filly by Starspangledbanner, Laulne was bred in France where she was Group II-placed. She is campaigned domestically by Madaket Stables, Panic Stables, Gerard Augustin-Normand et al. Laulne has a record of 9: 4-1-3 with $192,772 in earnings.
Just Nails seeks a breakthrough stakes win for trainer Doug O’Neill. During the Del Mar fall meet, Just Nails was beaten just a neck in the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes then was a close-up fourth in the Stormy Liberal, both sprinting five furlongs on turf. She will be reunited Sunday with jockey Edwin Maldonado, who piloted Just Nails to a dominant allowance win sprinting down the hill in October.
A 6-year-old Twirling Candy mare, Just Nails is 14: 3-7-0 with $256,220 in earnings for owners Button Stable and George Hicker.
Miss Lizzy returns to the hillside turf course where she is 5: 2-2-1, which includes a win in the Mizdirection Stakes in May. Also trained by O’Neill, Miss Lizzy most recently finished off the board in a pair of restricted stakes going a mile on turf, the Osunitas at Del Mar in July and the Swingtime at Santa Anita in October.
A 5-year-old mare by Classic Empire, Miss Lizzy will have Frankie Dettori aboard for the first time. She has a record of 21: 5-5-3 overall with $268,768 in earnings for owners Glenn Sorgenstein, WC Racing Inc. and Wonderland Racing Stables.
THE GIII LAS CIENEGAS WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 9 of 11 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT
- Just Nails – Edwin Maldonado – 120
- Nadette – Juan Hernandez – 124
- Anywho – Hector Berrios – 120
- Laulne – Antonio Fresu – 124
- Ma Rae’s Girl – Kazushi Kimura – 120
- Toupie – Flavien Prat – 122
- Hamwood Flier – Mike Smith – 122
- Vitalera – Tyler Baze –120
- Miss Lizzy – Umberto Rispoli – 122
First post Sunday is 11:30 p.m. PT. Admission gates open at 9:30 a.m.
