Las Vegas, NV – The Grade 1 Vanity Stakes is on tap for Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California this Saturday, June 14. Fillies and mares three years old and upward will be after the winner’s share of the $300,000 purse when they go 1 1/8 miles in Santa Anita’s main track.
A field if eight females will line up in the Vanity – race 8 on Santa Anita’s Saturday card. Post time is 4:30 PM. Let’s take a brief glance into the past performances of all eight combatants for the second Grade 1 stakes on Santa Anita’s Saturday schedule.
Let Faith Arise – Jerry Hollendorfer trained filly has six wins, two seconds and a third place finish in 12 career starts and has won two of her last three starts – last time out in the Grade 3 Adoration Stakes here May 18 and the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths on this track three back March 15, with a fourth in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap sandwiched in there. She had a very good second in the Grade 2 Santa Maria behind Iotapa here February 15, another second behind Spellbound in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes here January 19 and a career worst performance – an eighth in her graded stakes debut – the Senator Ken Maddy on this track November 2. She has two wins and two seconds in her last five graded stakes starts and is expected to be one of the favorites Saturday. Let Faith Arise will have Corey Nakatani in the saddle of the 124 pound high weight from gate 4.
Grace Hall – Grace Hall returned to the track after 13 months away and finished a decent second behind Fiftyshaesofhay in the Grade 2 Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park May 11. She ended 2013 with a disappointing seventh as even money favorite in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park way back on April 12 after a decent third in the Grade 3 Sabin Stakes in February. Before that she had won two of four starts – the Grade 2 Indiana Oaks in October, 2012 and the Grade 2 Delaware Oaks in July, 2012 with an uncharacteristic fifth in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes in between. She has six wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in 14 career starts and hopes to continue her rise up the ranks Saturday. Joel Rosario gets the call from post 3.
Scherzinger – is coming off an OK third in the Grade 1 Distaff at Churchill Downs May 3 after two straight wins for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer – the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes January 25 and an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track January 2. She ended 2013 with a seventh in an Allowance at Hollywood Park in November and another Allowance Optional Claiming score here in October. Scherzinger now has four wins, a second and two third place finishes in eight career starts and has looked very good in her two graded stakes starts thus far. Elvis Trujillo has the mount from post 5 in Scherzinger’s first try around two turns.
Iotapa – will make her tenth career start for trainer John Sadler off her worst career result – a sixth after tiring in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs May 3. This after a good second behind Let Faith Arise as 7-5 favorite in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes here March 15 and a terrific gate-to-wire win over Let Faith Arise and Stanwyck in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes with a career best 99 Beyer figure here February 15. She also had a good second in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes to start 2014 January 15 after an OK third in the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes here way back on July 21. Iotapa made her stakes debut last April 6 and finished a very respectable second behind Beholder 2 3/4 lengths back in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and won the minor Railbird Stakes as 7-5 favorite over Fiftyshadesofhay May 19. Iotapa has four wins, four seconds and a third place finish in 10 career starts and will be looking to bounce back after an ugly performance last time out. Joe Talamo rides from the rail Saturday.
Vanity Stakes betting online at Santa Anita Park with OffTrackBetting.com
Magic Union – John Sadler trained filly is coming off a fourth in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes May 2 after a good second in the Grade 2 Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park March 15 and a third in an Allowance in January. She has just three wins, four seconds and two third place finishes in 15 career starts and has placed in just one of three career graded stakes starts – that coming two back in the Azeri. Javier Castellano rides from post 2 Saturday.
Yahilwa – had 13 starts in Britain before her North American debut – a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track January 26. She followed that with a fourth in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes here February 15, a fifth in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes March 15 and an Allowance score April 19. Last time out was a good second at 17-1 odds behind Let Faith Arise in the Grade 3 Adoration Stakes on this track May 18. Yahilwa had two wins, a second and four third place finishes at home before shipping and looked just average in North America before her last two starts. Kent Desormeaux has the mount from gate 6.
Irish Presence – was last seen running a decent third behind Let Faith Arise and Yahilwa in the Grade 3 Adoration Stakes here May 18 and before that last raced in graded stakes company in April, 2013 where she finished sixth in the Grade 2 Beaumont Stakes. Two back she had a third in the minor Santa Lucia Stakes. She has just two wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in 19 career starts but has consecutive thirds ahead of this weekend. She leaves from post 7 with Fernando Hernandez Perez in the reins.
Unusual Way – Jeff Bonde trained filly has three starts in 2014 – all minor stakes races. She started her year with consecutive seconds – the Houston Ladies Classic in January and in the Dream of Summer Stakes here in March and was fourth last time out in the Fran’s Valentine Stakes April 26. She ended 2013 with a nice bounce back gate-to-wire six length win in the Zia Park Oaks after stumbling in her previous two races – a ninth in the minor Unzip Me Stakes at Santa Anita September 28 and a disappointing fifth as one of the favorites in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in August. Her good results include wins in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Sprint Preview Stakes and the minor Campanile Stakes at Golden Gate June 1, 2013 and a very good second behind Wishing Gate in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap at Del Mar July 21. She had placed in 11 of her last 14 starts and will be looking to place in graded stakes action for the first time since July. Unusual Way will have Edwin Maldonado aboard from the outside post Saturday.
