Conditions right for La Tia in Buena Vista

ARCADIA, Calif. – The well-traveled La Tia has conditions in her favor in Monday’s $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita.

The race is over a mile on turf, the same distance and surface as her most recent start, a win in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 30. On Monday, La Tia will be ridden by Joel Rosario, who has been aboard for her last three starts, two of which were stakes wins in which she led throughout.

A front-runner, La Tia, trained by Armando de la Cerda for owner and breeder Salvador Hernandez, will be favored in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes and may be too tough to catch in a field of seven.

La Tia, 6, has won 10 of 23 starts and earned $983,326. A finish in the first two in the Buena Vista Stakes will make her a millionaire.

“She’s happy,” de la Cerda said Saturday. “I think she likes the turf firm.”

KEY CONTENDERS

La Tia (Last 3 Beyers: 95-93-89)

* La Tia can win her third consecutive stakes in the Buena Vista, her first start at Santa Anita. She has raced on four different turf courses since mid-August, finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Beverly D. at Arlington Park in August, third in the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes at Woodbine in September, and winning the Grade 3 Athenia Stakes at Belmont Park in October before the win in the Matriarch.

* De la Cerda said he considered a race at Gulfstream Park last month but opted for the Buena Vista.

“I thought she would be better with more time,” he said.

* La Tia drew the rail and could be challenged early by Uzziel, a sprint-stakes winner who has never won at a mile. Uzziel drew the outside post.

“It doesn’t look too tough with one other speed horse on the outside,” de la Cerda said.

Annecdote (Last 2 Beyers: 96-86)

* Annecdote joined trainer Christophe Clement’s stable last summer from Europe and won her American debut in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel Stakes at Belmont Park in September. She was fifth in the Athenia, finishing three lengths behind La Tia. Annecdote has not raced since the Athenia and has been in training in south Florida in recent months.

* Annecdote, 5, has won 6 of 15 starts. She won the competitive Sandringham Handicap against 25 rivals at Royal Ascot in England in 2013 and won the Group 3 Oak Tree Stakes at seven furlongs at Goodwood later that summer.

Diversy Harbor (Last 3 Beyers: 87-87-86)

* Diversy Harbor has been second in her last two starts in Grade 3 stakes on turf here – the Autumn Miss Stakes in October and the Robert Frankel Stakes on Dec. 27, losing the latter race by a nose to Lady Pimpernel.

* Trained by Tom Proctor, Diversy Harbor won the minor China Doll Stakes at a mile on turf for 3-year-old fillies last March but has never won a graded stakes. She was second in the Grade 1 American Oaks last May and is a threat from off the pace in this race.