Las Vegas, NV – Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California will play host to the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes Saturday, January 25. Fillies and mares four years old and upward will be featured in this seven furlong dash as the entries search for the winner’s share of the $200,000 purse.
A field of seven older females have been confirmed for the Santa Monica – race 4 on Santa Anita’s Saturday card. Post time is 1:30 PM. Here is a brief glance into the past performances of all seven combatants for this Grade 2 stakes.
Teddy’s Promise – defending champion in this race by a convincing three lengths, Teddy’s Promise finished eighth in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and eighth in the 2013 version of that race. She also won the minor Kalookan Queen Stakes December 29 2012 by 5 1/4 lengths and followed that with a decent second in the Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita March 10 and a pair of good results in minor stakes starts. Teddy’s Promise had a win in the minor L.A. Woman Stakes here October 5 after an OK second in the Grade 2 A Gleam Handicap at Hollywood Park in July and followed that with her disappointing BC bid. Last time out was another minor stakes win – the Playa Del Rey Stakes at Hollywood Park December 15. She ends her career in a race that she loves, looking for her eighth graded stakes score on a track she’s won five of 10 starts. Victor Espinoza gets the call from post 2 looking to make Teddy’s Promise a $1 million career winner.
Heir Kitty – Peter Miller trained filly enters on a nice two race win streak – the Grade 1 La Brea at 13-1 odds here December 26 and an Allowance Optional Claiming at Hollywood Park November 29 after an ugly and distant ninth in the Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes here October 26. Before that was a seventh in the minor Unzip Me Stakes September 28 after a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Del Mar September 21 and six months away. She started last year with a very good second in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes behind Fiftyshadesofhay January 26 before a close third in the minor Sweet Life Stakes on this track February 16 and a fourth in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes in March. Her win last time out has Heir Kitty firmly on the Santa Monica radar. She will have Gary Stevens on the 123 pound highweight.
Iotapa – will make her seventh career start for trainer John Sadler. She won an Allowance Optional Claiming at Santa Anita February 15 after an eight month layoff and a Maiden Claiming score way back last June. She made her stakes debut April 6 and finished a very respectable second behind Beholder by 2 3/4 lengths in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and won the minor Railbird Stakes as 7-5 favorite over Fiftyshadesofhay May 19. Last time out was an OK third in the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes here way back on July 21 after another good effort – a second in the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks at Hollywood Park June 22. Three wins, two seconds and a third place finish in six career starts has Iotapa yet another one of the ones to watch Saturday.
Santa Monica Stakes betting at Santa Anita Park with OffTrackBetting.com
Winding Way – won the 2012 Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Stakes in her third career starts but hasn’t tasted victory since. Last time out was a sixth in the Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes here January 5 after a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming December 7 and a good second in the Grade 3 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes on this track November 2. She also had a second in the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Stakes at Hollywood Park in August. Winding Way has been inconsistent in her graded stakes action the last year – placing in two and finishing way off the board in her other two. She makes her first start for new trainer Tom Proctor and switches to dirt Saturday.
Lexington Pearl – Martin Wolfson trained mare races in graded stakes company for the first time after 27 career starts yielded nine wins, three seconds and five third place finishes. Last time out was a second in a Starter Stakes at Gulfstream December 7 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score on that same track in November – her only win in five starts. She takes a huge step up in competition Saturday but looks to be in decent form.
Scherzinger – is coming off an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track January 2 for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer after a seventh in an Allowance at Hollywood Park in November and another Allowance Optional Claiming score here in October. She steps up in stakes company for the first time Saturday after six career starts produced three wins, a second and a third place finish.
Socialbug – Bob Baffert trained filly makes just her fifth career start. She won her first two career starts before a fifth in her stakes debut – the minor LA Woman Stakes here October 5 and most recently finished second in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track January 2.
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