Cilla brings impressive resume into Orleans Stakes

Cilla did Louisiana proud last September, when she won the Grade 2 Prioress at Saratoga.

She’s since returned to her home state and on Friday leads a cast of nine fillies and mares in the $75,000 Orleans at Delta Downs. The five-furlong race also drew multiple stakes winners Kela’s Turn and Ima Discreet Lady, as well as Icy Charlie, who seeks to win her fourth straight race.

Cilla is a three-time stakes winner and is shortening up a tad in distance Friday. She comes off a runner-up finish in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint at six furlongs at Fair Grounds. Since the start, Cilla has worked a bullet three-eighths in 36.60 seconds at Fair Grounds.

Thomas Pompell has the mount from post 8.

Cilla has natural speed and could get an ideal trip from post 8 just off speed horses Icy Charlie, Shellby, and the rail-drawn Ima Discreet Lady.

Cilla is a Louisiana-bred daughter of California Chrome and Sittin At the Bar, who won nine stakes and earned $705,896. Cilla is one of three stakes winners for her dam, who also has produced Jack the Umpire, who is a two-time stakes winner at Delta, and Club Car, a stakes winner of $554,354.

Dale Ladner owns Cilla and co-bred the filly with her trainer, Brett Brinkman. The men also raced Sittin At the Bar.

Kela’s Turn is 2 for 2 at Delta. She won an allowance over five-eighths of a mile there in October, then came back and won the track’s $100,000 Treasure Chest at a mile on Nov. 12. Kela’s Turn is returning to dirt Friday, having tried turf for the first time last out, running third in the $75,000 Pan Zareta on Dec. 4 at Fair Grounds. Alex Birzer has the mount from post 2.

Ima Discreet Lady also goes turf to dirt, and her last win came on the main track at Sam Houston, in the $100,000 Yellow Rose over six furlongs last March. She will be making her second start since July and will be ridden by Tim Thornton.

Icy Charlie has built her streak in conditioned allowances, winning one at Louisiana Downs, another at Remington Park, and a third one at Delta Downs. She set the pace in the five-furlong race at Delta and earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 81. The best last-race number in the field is an 87, earned by Cilla.

Onerollofthedice put four wins together earlier in her career and is looking to get back in the win column after running third to Kela’s Turn in a no-conditions allowance sprint in October at Delta Downs.