Desert Dawn, Prat prove winning combo in La Canada Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - Desert Dawn was ridden for the first time by jockey Flavien Prat in Saturday’s Grade 3 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita, the 5-year-old mare’s 19th start and 17th consecutive appearance in a graded stakes.

Desert Dawn and Prat performed like a veteran team in the $100,000 race for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.

Closing from a stalking position, Desert Dawn rallied wide on the turn to reach the front in early stretch. Desert Dawn pulled clear to win by a length over 6-1 Coffee in Bed. Midnight Memories, the 4-5 favorite, faded through the stretch to finish third.

Desert Dawn, the second choice in the betting in a field of five, paid $5.80 and was timed in 1:44.05. Desert Dawn earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 92.

Prat had ridden Desert Dawn in two workouts earlier this month, get-to-know sessions that he said left him comfortable with the mare.

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“I breezed her twice and she gave me a good feeling,” he said. “I rode with confidence.”

Desert Dawn stalked early leader Musical Mischief, a 7-1 chance who set slow fractions of 24.01 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.61 for a half-mile. Desert Dawn raced wide on the backstretch by design, Prat said.

“I got her in the clear,” he said.

Desert Dawn challenged Midnight Memories on the turn, but there was little suspense to their encounter. Midnight Memories faded through the final furlong.

“She didn’t fire today,” jockey Juan Hernandez said of Midnight Memories. “Before the quarter-pole, I was trying to open up, but she didn’t make a move. It wasn’t her day.”

Musical Mischief faded to finish fourth, followed by Signorina Merisi. Cliquish was withdrawn early Saturday.

Midnight Memories and Desert Dawn were first and second in the Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes at Los Alamitos on Dec. 15 in their last starts.

Desert Dawn, a rare Arizona-bred graded stakes winner, races for owners and breeders Elena and Hollie Crim’s H&E Ranch and trainer Phil D’Amato.

The La Canada was Desert Dawn’s first stakes win since the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks in 2022. Desert Dawn was later third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks and second in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes against older fillies and mares at Del Mar that year.

Last year, Desert Dawn was winless in seven starts, including a second in the Hirsch, and a troubled fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita in November.

Desert Dawn, by Cupid, has won 3 of 19 starts and earned $996,525.

Maymun wins debut

Maymun, a well-regarded colt trained by Bob Baffert, won his debut in a convincing manner in a maiden race for 3-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs in Saturday’s first race.

Ridden by Hernandez, Maymun took the lead shortly after the start, and was never seriously challenged by seven rivals, winning by 7 ½ lengths in 1:15.59. Maymun was favored and paid $3.80. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 94.

By Frosted, Maymun was purchased for $900,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales of 2-year-olds in-training last April, one of the five most-expensive hips of the four-day auction.

Maymun races for Amr Zedan.

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