Las Flores becomes goal for Watch This Cat

ARCADIA, Calif. - A muddy start to the winter-spring meeting has been just fine with trainer Richard Baltas.

On consecutive Saturdays, Baltas-trained runners have won stakes scheduled for turf and transferred to a wet main track because of rain. Goodyearforroses won the $98,000 Robert Frankel Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on Dec. 31. Saturday, Watch This Cat won the $98,000 Las Cienegas Stakes for female sprinters. The race was scheduled for the hillside turf course.

Watch This Cat was claimed for $32,000 from a one-mile dirt race at Santa Anita in late June. Now owned by the partnership of Harry Bederian, Harout Kamberian, and Hagop Nakkashian, Watch This Cat has won 3 of 5 starts and earned $133,320 since being claimed.

The Las Cienegas was her third consecutive win, and first career stakes win. She won consecutive sprints on turf in October and November.

“I think she likes the dirt,” Baltas said. “That opens up a lot of doors for us.”

Baltas said the $100,000 Las Flores Stakes at six furlongs for fillies and mares on March 5 is a goal.

Goodyearforroses is nominated for the $75,000 Astra Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf for fillies and mares on Jan. 15, but is likely to pass the race.

“I think it comes up too quick,” Baltas said of the Astra. “I think she needs more time. She may show improvement if we give 30, 45, or 60 days between races.”

Baltas intends to run Enduring Erin in this Saturday’s $200,000 La Canada Stakes at 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares. A 7-year-old claimed for $40,000 in July, Enduring Erin won an optional claimer at a mile at Del Mar on Nov. 11.

The leading contender is Vale Dori, a three-length winner of the Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes at Del Mar on Dec. 3.

Baltas nominated Enduring Erin for the La Canada when he became aware the race lacked depth. There are only seven nominations, although other runners could join the field for a $4,000 supplemental fee when entries are taken on Wednesday.

“It’s going to be a four-horse or five-horse field,” Baltas said. “If the she can be in the money, it helps her value. It’s a logical spot especially when I saw there were no noms.”