Dua brings class to Anoakia Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – In autumn, the winner of the Anoakia Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Santa Anita emerges from one of two camps – those taking a shot while moving up from maiden races or those who already took their shot and are dropping from graded stakes.

The $85,000 Anoakia on Saturday includes reps from both – debut winner Sandy Bottom and graded stakes-placed dropper Dua. Those two and comebacker Becky’s Dream rank as top contenders in the Anoakia, which has been resurrected after a one-year absence.

The six-furlong Anoakia drew insufficient entries last year and was scrapped. No surprise; the race always struggles to fill – 5.3 average field size since 2010. Another trait during that period is the profile of winners – every Anoakia was won by a filly dropping from an off-the-board finish in a graded stakes or moving up from a one-two finish in a maiden race.

In that regard, Dua is practically overqualified. She followed her July debut win by finishing third in the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar and Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes, a route at Santa Anita. Her credentials are not quite Breeders’ Cup caliber, but plenty good enough for the Anoakia.

Dua’s performance in the Anoakia may offer insight to the Breeders’ Cup prep she exits. Chandelier one-two finishers Chatalas and Scalable are possible for the BC Juvenile Fillies. A win by Chandelier third Dua would validate Chatalas and Scalable, to a small degree.

Ramon Vazquez rides Dua, replacing Juan Hernandez, who is on a three-day suspension. Dua is trained by Bob Baffert, whose six Anoakia wins include Eda in 2021. Dua, the class of the field, should win if she catches front-runners Sandy Bottom and Becky’s Dream.

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Sandy Bottom scored a sharp debut victory last month at Del Mar, winning by more than three lengths with a modest 66 Beyer Speed Figure. Five of the last 11 Anoakia winners were moving up from maiden races. Michael McCarthy trains Sandy Bottom, who breaks from the rail with Umberto Rispoli. She must deal with pace rival Becky’s Dream.

Becky’s Dream is the fastest in the field based on a 76 Beyer in her May debut for trainer Hector Palma. The filly subsequently finished second in the Fasig-Tipton Debutante in June, then was transferred to Palma’s assistant Jose Valdez after Palma was suspended for a medication violation.

Drawn outside under Tiago Pereira, Becky’s Dream returns from a four-month break with a series of sharp workouts. The two remaining starters in the Anoakia (race 8) are Cheeky Gal and Tambo.

◗ The all-turf pick three has a new look Saturday. The $3 wager typically is offered later on the card, but Saturday’s sequence is spread out over the only three races on grass – races 1, 5, and 7, all for horses bred in California.

Race 1 is a turf sprint for allowance 2-year-olds with Going Mobile and Gentlemen’s Club. Race 5 is a turf sprint for older maidens, including Man O Rose and Antibes. Race 7 is a maiden mile for 2-year-olds with Nestucka and High King.

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