Golden Gate Fields: McCanna has promising pair in California Oaks

Trainer Tim McCanna sends two good-looking maiden winners against a diverse group of opponents in Saturday’s $50,000-added California Oaks at Golden Gate Fields.

The McCanna trainees Tiz Kissable and Josephine’s Moment face four others in the 1 1/16-mile Tapeta race for 3-year-old fillies: Earthflight, a British import; Be Proud, who is trained by Bob Baffert; and the Northern California-based Kris Furillo and Adriatic Lass.

Tiz Kissable and Josephine’s Moment each won a one-mile maiden race on the Golden Gate Tapeta over the same filly, French Tart. Tiz Kissable defeated French Tart by four lengths at a mile Dec. 15 in her only start, and Josephine’s Moment won her second start by a neck over French Tart on Jan. 11.

Josephine’s Moment dueled for the lead and finished sixth in her debut, a six-furlong Tapeta sprint. McCanna said that experience “gave her some competitiveness.”

She confirmed that in her second start, wearing down French Tart by a neck.

“She’s a big, strong filly, and I think she’s improving,” McCanna said. “She finished strong in her victory.”

Tiz Kissable rallied from nearly 10 lengths back to win her debut by four lengths and has been working steadily since.

“We thought about finding another race for her, but she won her first start off works, and we didn’t want her running three times in seven weeks,” McCanna said.

“She’s as ready as we can get.”

The speedy Be Proud makes her first start since fading to seventh in the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet. She was second in the $100,000 Sharp Cat at Hollywood Park in her previous start. Be Proud wore blinkers for her first six starts, including a 5 1/4-length maiden victory at Santa Anita in October, and took them off for the Starlet. Baffert puts the blinkers back on for the California Oaks.

Earthflight, trained by Darrell Vienna, has won three races, all over the synthetic surface at Wolverhampton. This will be her first start since a pair of handicap victories in November.

Kris Furillo made both her starts on turf. She hopped at the start and rallied five wide to win her debut by three-quarters of a length over French Tart here. She was never a factor in her second start when sent to Southern California to run in the Blue Norther on New Year’s Day.

A Pleasanton-based runner trained by Michael Larson, Kris Furillo has two bullet works since her Southern California excursion.

Adriatic Lass brings a two-race win streak into the Oaks. She graduated for a $20,000 tag on the turf here Dec. 8 and then won a starter allowance on the main track with a well-timed late run Jan. 12.

“I think she likes Tapeta, and I think she’ll be running late, so we want to take a shot,” trainer Sergio Ledezma said.