Global Hottie looks good in Las Flores

ARCADIA, Calif. – Already at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, Global Hottie has run the best and worst races of her brief career.

She was sixth of eight in the Kalookan Queen Stakes on Dec. 28 and rebounded to win an optional claimer Jan. 18. The latest win makes her a leading contender for Sunday’s $100,000 Las Flores Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs at Santa Anita.

“I thought this was a good spot,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “She’s racing against some of the ones she’s been facing.”

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Global Hottie has yet to win a stakes. Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, Global Hottie is part of a field of seven in the Grade 3 Las Flores that includes three stakes winners – Harlington’s Rose, Sagebrush Queen, and Tribal Gal.

KEY CONTENDERS

Global Hottie (Last 3 Beyers: 90-63-73)

◗ The loss in the Kalookan Queen Stakes ended a three-race winning streak for Global Hottie, who has won four of six starts.

“She was flat and didn’t run her race,” Baffert said. “She was sharp after that.”

◗ Global Hottie won the optional claimer Jan. 18 by 3 3/4 lengths, contending for the lead throughout. She could face early pressure in the Las Flores from Tribal Gal, the winner of the Orange County Stakes at Los Alamitos last September. Tribal Gal was second in the Kalookan Queen and later fifth in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint on Jan. 24.

Sagebrush Queen (Last 3 Beyers: 81-87-84)

◗ Sagebrush Queen won the Desert Stormer Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs here last June but has not raced since finishing third in the Grade 2 Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos last July. Trainer Jorge Gutierrez said on Thursday that he is concerned that Sagebrush Queen might not be ready for her best effort in the Las Flores.

“I think we’re a little short,” Gutierrez said. “She’s trained well, but she hasn’t been as aggressive as she normally is. I think we’ll need a race or two to get back in action. There was nowhere else to run.”

Meinertzhageni (Last 3 Beyers: 89-77-82)

◗ Meinertzhageni has finished fourth in two stakes for California-breds – the Soviet Problem Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Hollywood Park in December 2013 and the Betty Grable Stakes for older fillies and mares at Del Mar last November.

◗ A 4-year-old filly by Stormin Fever, Meinertzhageni was claimed for $40,000 by trainer Peter Miller on Feb. 21, the day she won an optional claimer at 6 1/2 furlongs by four lengths. This will be the graded stakes debut for Meinertzhageni.

Harlington’s Rose (Last 3 Beyers: 82-79-80)

◗ The winner of the Kalookan Queen Stakes in December, Harlington’s Rose has been third in two subsequent starts – the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes on Jan. 19 and an optional claimer Feb. 12.

◗ The 4-year-old filly, trained by Steve Knapp, tries to win her first graded stakes in the Las Flores.