Lexie Lou gets surface check in La Canada
ARCADIA, Calif. – For all she has accomplished in the last two years, the Canadian star Lexie Lou will be asked to do something new in Saturday’s $200,000 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita: race on dirt.
Lexie Lou has won 7 of 16 starts, including six stakes, and earned $1,429,714 racing on synthetic surfaces and turf. She is best known for beating males in the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine last July, and for running second to California Chrome in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar on Nov. 29.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Lexie Lou. Trainer Mark Casse is 52-3-4-6 with a $0.83 ROI over the past two years in dirt route graded stakes. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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The Grade 2 La Canada Stakes, for 4-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, is an experiment, according to trainer Mark Casse, and comes at an ideal time. A successful performance gives Casse and owner Gary Barber expanded options for Lexie Lou’s 2015 campaign. A loss would likely lead to a return to turf in the $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes here on Feb. 16.
“She is a Canadian star,” Casse said. “That puts on a little extra pressure. The last thing I would want to do is embarrass her.”
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Lexie Lou has trained on Santa Anita’s dirt track since arriving in California last fall. She had two workouts on dirt in the first week of January, including one going five furlongs in 1:00.20 on Jan. 7.
“There are not many horses that can handle three surfaces,” Casse said. “She’s proven to handle synthetic and turf nicely.
“If we didn’t run this weekend, we’d have to breeze her three or four more times and wait another month. Our feeling is that if she handles the dirt, great. If it shows she’s not as good on dirt, it gives us four weeks to the next one.”
KEY CONTENDERS
Lexie Lou (Last 3 Beyers: 92-90-44)
◗ Lexie Lou was beaten two lengths by California Chrome in the Hollywood Derby, closing from fourth in the field of six.
“I thought she ran really well,” Casse said. “Obviously, California Chrome is a great horse. Going in, I knew he would be tough to beat if he took to the turf. I wanted her to show she belonged, and I think she more than did that.”
◗ Corey Nakatani will ride Lexie Lou in the La Canada. Nakatani was aboard the filly for the first time when she won the Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes at a mile on turf here on Oct. 25, her first start away from Woodbine. Lexie Lou was last of 10 in the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes against older fillies and mares at Woodbine on Sept. 14 in her final start there.
Sam’s Sister (Last 3 Beyers: 87-77-87)
◗ Sam’s Sister won her stakes debut in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes on Dec. 26 at seven furlongs, which equaled the longest race of her career.
◗ A winner of four of five starts, Sam’s Sister is nominated for Monday’s $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes at seven furlongs, and could start there.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Sam’s Sister. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is 14-2-3-2 with a $0.55 ROI over the past five years going sprint to route with last-out winners on the Southern California circuit. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Jojo Warrior (Last 3 Beyers: 42-90-88)
◗ Jojo Warrior won the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar in August before finishing third to top 3-year-old filly Untapable in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing in September. After a three-month break, Jojo Warrior was eighth of nine in the La Brea Stakes.
◗ She rebounded with a five-furlong workout in 59 seconds on Monday, suggesting she might be the pacesetter in the La Canada.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Jojo Warrior. Trainer Bob Baffert is 12-6-1-1 with a $3.93 ROI over the past five years going sprint to route on dirt in graded stakes in the second start following a layoff. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 8 Colonel Joan. Trainer Eoin Harty is 20-6-0-3 with a $3.88 ROI over the past five years going turf to dirt in routes. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
MEGAHERTZ STAKES
Nashoba’s Gold, the winner of two graded stakes here last spring, returns from a layoff of more than seven months in Saturday’s $75,000 Megahertz Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf.
Trained by Carla Gaines for owner-breeder Warren Williamson, Nashoba’s Gold has not started since finishing fifth as the 3-2 favorite in the Grade 1 American Oaks here last May. She won the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes and Grade 2 Honeymoon Stakes earlier in 2014.
The Megahertz Stakes drew 11, but will be limited to 10 starters.
Rusty Slipper and Blingismything, who were sixth and seventh in the Grade 3 Robert Frankel Stakes here on Dec. 27, are part of the field. Rusty Slipper won the Grade 3 Violet Stakes at Monmouth Park last August.