Niassa looks up to challenge in California Oaks
Thoroughbreds named after people or special locations often don’t live up to the expectations of their owners. Named for a lion preserve in Mozambique, Niassa is not one of those.
On Saturday, Niassa faces her toughest challenge yet in the $50,000-added California Oaks, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies over the Tapeta surface at Golden Gate Fields.
Barbara Owens bred and owns Niassa with her husband, Jack. Owens works with all her young horses to toughen them mentally before they go to the track.
“She was high-strung, but she’s a nice horse,” Owens said. “My job is to prepare them for the stress of the track.”
A Papa Clem filly trained by Billy Morey, Niassa has won both of her starts at Golden Gate and 3 of 5 career starts. She showed toughness in running third in her stakes and two-turn debut two starts back in the $200,000 Soviet Problem on Dec. 7 at Los Alamitos. She was forced to steady early but hung in and finished nicely in the one-mile race for California-bred 2-year-old fillies.
She won an open optional claimer by nine lengths going one mile here Jan. 8 in her last start, pulling away despite racing a bit greenly.
On Saturday, she’ll meet the late-running Sharla Rae, who won the Pike Place Dancer at a mile here and earlier won the Barretts Debutante. She’s also run in three graded races.
An intriguing entrant is the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Glory, who turned in a strong effort at Santa Anita while graduating in her second start. The Tapit filly may just be scratching the surface of her potential.
KEY CONTENDERS
Niassa (Last 3 Beyers: 70-64-68)
◗ She has worked solidly since her last start and has the home-track advantage.
Glory (Beyers: 86-72)
◗ A $260,000 yearling purchase, she is going two turns for the first time, but her breeding suggests she’ll be a big factor.
◗ She has a work over the track in advance of her synthetic debut.
◗ She showed sprint speed in both of her starts, but this track doesn’t always play well to speed.
Sharla Rae (Last 3 Beyers: 68-37-65)
◗ She enters off an eighth-place finish in the Blue Norther at Santa Anita, her turf debut.