Light the City on the rise for Santa Ysabel
ARCADIA, Calif. – Light the City went from a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 3 to an encouraging second in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes on Jan. 31.
The runner-up finish to Callback in the Las Virgenes will make Light the City the favorite for Saturday’s $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-old fillies. A win could put Light the City closer to a start in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 1.
“I think that’s why we’re all running,” said Dan Ward, assistant to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.
The Grade 3 Santa Ysabel drew a field of nine, including three fillies trained by Hollendorfer, who also starts Achiever’s Legacy and Glory.
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The race drew four stakes winners – Achiever’s Legacy, who won the Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar last November; Enchanting Lady, unraced since winning the Landaluce Stakes here last June; Light the City, the winner of the Anoakia Stakes here last October; and Rainha Da Bateria, who won the Grade 3 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland last October.
KEY CONTENDERS
Light the City (Last 3 Beyers: 84-69-80)
◗ The Las Virgenes was Light the City’s first start around two turns, and something of a relief for Hollendorfer’s team after the Santa Ynez.
“She needed the race and came back and ran well,” Ward said.
◗ Owned by Cheyenne Stables, Light the City raced wide from an outside post in the Las Virgenes and closed steadily through the stretch. “She lost a lot of ground, more than she got beat,” Ward said.
Enchanting Lady (Beyers: 83-77)
◗ A foot injury put Enchanting Lady out of training last July after she won the Landaluce Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs by 6 1/4 lengths. She resumed workouts in early November and has worked steadily in the last three months.
“I’m in a tough spot,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “She’s ready to go one turn, but there aren’t any races out there.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Enchanting Lady. Trainer Bob Baffert is 6-2-0-2 with a $2.93 ROI over the past five years with 3-year-olds in dirt routes following a layoff of 180 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Stellar Wind (Beyers: 76-55)
◗ Stellar Wind beat maidens at a mile at Laurel by 8 3/4 lengths Dec. 18 when trained by Donald Barr. She was bought privately by Hronis Racing last month, trainer John Sadler said.
◗ The filly is by Curlin and will race as a stalker, Sadler said.
“It looks like the distance will be ideal,” he said. “She’ll be a little off the pace. We’re entering her aggressively because she’s trained well.”
Rattataptap (Last 3 Beyers: 87-53-62)
◗ The Santa Ysabel will be a distance test for Rattataptap, a Tapit filly who has never raced beyond 6 1/2 furlongs. Rattataptap showed no signs of slowing down in an optional claimer at six furlongs Jan. 29, drawing off through the stretch to win by 4 3/4 lengths.
Rainha Da Bateria (Last 3 Beyers: 73-68-79)
◗ Rainha Da Bateria has raced exclusively on turf in her six-race career. She was third in the Blue Norther Stakes at a mile on turf Jan. 1, closing from last in the field and encountering trouble through the last three furlongs.
“I feel like she’s been unlucky,” trainer Graham Motion said, adding that he’s been wanting to try the filly on dirt.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Curlin’s Fox. Trainer Carla Gaines is 14-8-2-0 with a $2.97 ROI over the past five years in the second career start with debut maiden winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Rainha Da Bateria. Trainer Graham Motion is 3-0-0-0 over the past five years going turf to dirt in graded stakes Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Achiever’s Legacy. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is 18-1-3-4 with a $0.61 ROI over the past two years with Gary Stevens aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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