La La Land brings less to evenly matched Singletary Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – The 3-year-old turf stakes Saturday at Santa Anita would have been more interesting if Pasadena Stakes one-two finishers River Boyne and Inscom had stayed home instead of shipping to Churchill Downs for the Grade 2 American Turf on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

But they left town, leaving the $100,000 Singletary Stakes and its filly counterpart, the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes, as mere footnotes.

Eight colts and geldings entered the Singletary, which is race 4 on the 11-race card. Seven fillies entered the Senorita, race 7. Both are one mile on turf.

The evenly matched Singletary includes La La Land, third to River Boyne in the Pasadena. By the time La La Land runs, the strength of the Pasadena will be evident. River Boyne runs an hour earlier in the American Turf, race 9 at Churchill Downs.

La La Land finished 3 1/2 lengths behind River Boyne. Following the Pasadena, La La Land was castrated. He returns Saturday as a first-time gelding. If he improves, the Irish-bred should be good enough to handle a modest field in the Singletary.

Others include blinkers-on Choo Choo, who won the California Derby on synthetic at Golden Gate; East Rand, runner-up in a highly rated turf allowance last out; maiden sprint winner More Honor; along with Afleet Ascent, Move Over, Blame the Rider, and Restrainedvengence. It is not a strong bunch.

Phil D’Amato trains La La Land, who went 1 for 5 in England before he was imported to California. He finished third in an allowance turf sprint in his U.S. debut, followed by his third-place finish in the Pasadena. Jockey Joe Talamo is back aboard Saturday.

The Senorita also is evenly matched and includes blinkers-on Exuberance, whose Kentucky Oaks aspirations evaporated when she finished fourth in the Santa Anita Oaks, 14 lengths behind winner Midnight Bisou. Exuberance will be making her first start on turf.

The Senorita includes stakes-placed Treasuring, who pressed the pace and finished sixth last out in the Grade 3 Providencia at 1 1/8 miles. Treasuring shortens up Saturday to the one-mile distance at which she finished second in a minor stakes race two starts back.

Treasuring is trained by Simon Callaghan, who also entered allowance winner West Palm Beach. She won a first-level allowance in March over a good course that produced slow times. Perhaps her slow final quarter-mile, more than 25 seconds, should not be held against her.

Ian Kruljac trains Exuberance, runner-up in the Grade 2 Las Virgenes won by now-sidelined Dream Tree. Exuberance previously won a maiden route on dirt by more than six lengths. Tiago Perira rides Exuberance.

The reminder of the Senorita field includes May Girl, California Oaks winner Consolida, Pursuing the Dream, and Movie Moment.