La Chica Rica risks a streak

La Chica Rica has made a pretty good living commuting to West Virginia, but her five-race winning streak may be in trouble when she races in her home state of Maryland for the first time since March.

All Giving, who has already beaten La Chica Rica three times since January, could be the biggest obstacle La Chica Rica faces in Saturday's $50,000 Alma North Stakes at Timonium.

The race, which will be contested around two turns at about 6 1/2 furlongs, drew a field of six Maryland-bred fillies and mares.

La Chica Rica, fourth in last year's Alma North in her only race over Timonium's bullring, returns just 14 days after winning the $100,000 Charles Town Distaff Sprint. In four starts coming back in two weeks or less, the 5-year-old La Chica Rica has a win and a loss by a nose, so the short turnaround should not be a problem.

All Giving, however, is quite capable of ending La Chica Rica's winning streak, accomplished through a string of successful raids to Mountaineer and Charles Town.

The 4-year-old All Giving easily handled La Chica Rica winning the seven-furlong Conniver at Laurel Park in mid-March and a six-furlong optional claimer in the slop on Feb. 1. She also finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of La Chica Rica as the runner-up in Laurel's What a Summer in January.

All Giving has been off the board in her last three starts, but all of those races were either on turf or a synthetic surface. She returns to dirt for the first time since winning the The Very One at Pimlico in May.