Dream Tree tops expected field for La Brea
ARCADIA, Calif. – A field of eight 3-year-old fillies is likely for the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes on Dec. 26, opening day of the Santa Anita winter meet. The likely favorite for the seven-furlong race is undefeated Dream Tree, who will be making her first start since minor throat surgery for an entrapped epiglottis.
Dream Tree has won all five of her starts. Her main rivals in the La Brea are expected to be Grade 3 winner Happy Like a Fool and multiple California-bred stakes winner Spiced Perfection. Others expected for the La Brea are Cathedral Reader, Emboldened, Heavenhasmynikki, Hot Autumn, and Kelly’s Humor.
East Coast-based Blamed, winner of the Grade 3 Comely last month at Aqueduct and runner-up in the Grade 2 Raven Run this past fall at Keeneland, will not ship for the La Brea trainer Bill Mott said Thursday.
Just Grazed Me to try turf
California-bred stakes winner Just Grazed Me will skip the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita and point to the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint there on Jan. 26.
“I want to try her on the grass,” trainer Phil D’Amato said this week. “Tyler [Baze] has told me for months she would absolutely love it.”
A Nick Alexander homebred, Just Grazed Me has 3 wins and 3 seconds from 6 starts, all on the main track.
“Hopefully she can be the replacement for Enola Gray,” D’Amato said. Enola Gray won 7 of 12 starts including four stakes on turf for D’Amato and Alexander before she was retired.
