Santa Anita: Oscar Party to go in La Canada Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Oscar Party is scheduled to start in Sunday’s $200,000 La Canada Stakes for 4-year-old fillies. If she runs in that race, it will be the first time something has happened on schedule for her in recent months.

Owned by Deron Pearson, Oscar Party was third in the Zia Park Oaks in New Mexico on Nov. 27, a race delayed four days because of poor weather. Oscar Party missed the $300,000 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26 because of a throat abscess.

Trainer Jim Cassidy said Oscar Party has recovered from that illness. She will be seeking her first graded stakes win in the Grade 2 La Canada, run at 1 1/16 miles on dirt.

“She is very aggressive,” Cassidy said this week. “She’s tough, and she has a ton of class. I prefer to run her on the dirt. I think she may be better on dirt.”

Oscar Party has won 2 of 11 starts and earned $177,321. In the La Canada, she is expected to face Broken Sword, Fiftyshadesofhay, Let Faith Arise, Ondine, Rathbaun, and Spellbound.