Proud Emma targets La Canada Stakes

On Sunday at Los Alamitos, Proud Emma won the Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes, a $100,000 race at 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares. She is scheduled to return in a race with similar conditions and twice the prize money in the Grade 3 La Canada Stakes on Jan. 9 at Santa Anita.

“The timing is good,” trainer Peter Miller said.

:: Get DRF Betting Strategies for the Saturday card at Los Alamitos

The $200,000 La Canada Stakes is the first graded stakes on dirt for older fillies and mares at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, which begins Dec. 26.

Proud Emma, 4, has won 6 of 16 starts and earned $304,658. She is owned by Gem Inc. and Tom Kagele.

The La Canada Stakes is a prep for the Grade 1 Beholder Mile for fillies and mares on March 13.

Miller will be active at Santa Anita on the Dec. 26 program, which includes six stakes. He is training Anothertwistafate, a two-time stakes winner who was fourth in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap on turf Nov. 28 at Del Mar, for the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/16 miles.

:: Start earning weekly cashback on your wagering today. Click to learn more.

Miller also trains California Kook, second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks for 3-year-old fillies in August, who is scheduled to run in the Grade 1 American Oaks, a $300,000 race at 1 1/4 miles on turf. California Kook was seventh of 10 in the Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap at 1 3/8 miles against fillies and mares on Nov. 26 at Del Mar. She was entered against males in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on Nov. 28, but was scratched by racing officials because she had raced only two days earlier, Miller said.

“They wouldn’t allow her to run,” Miller said. “She was good.”

California Kook resumed workouts at the San Luis Rey Downs training center last weekend.