Tenma certainly looks like a lock in Las Virgenes
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ARCADIA, Calif. – The biggest lock Sunday at Santa Anita could be Tenma in the Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes, a dirt mile for 3-year-old fillies won by favorites eight of the last nine years.
Tenma, after all, is the class of the Las Virgenes with the highest figures. But can Tenma be as effective at Santa Anita as she is at Del Mar and Los Alamitos? Her worst start was her only start at Santa Anita, a distant third in the Grade 2 Oak Leaf last fall.
“She didn’t run well here, I don’t know why,” trainer Bob Baffert acknowledged. “That’s why I didn’t run her in the Breeders’ Cup. She was a flat third [in the Oak Leaf], so I got her ready for the [Los Alamitos] Starlet, and she ran a big race.”
She usually does. Tenma emerged as California’s top 2-year-old filly last season by winning her debut and Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante, finishing third in the Oak Leaf, followed by a solid victory in the Grade 2 Starlet at Los Alamitos.
It’s enough to make Tenma favored over four rivals in the Las Virgenes, race 3 on a 10-race card. Her main rivals are up from maiden wins – Our Moonlight, Just as Fancy, and Cipriani. Lolo Le Plume also entered.
But the most probable winner Sunday at Santa Anita is entered in race 7. Eagles Flight, a 4-year-old by Curlin and sibling to Flightline, looks formidable in the entry-level allowance route.
John Sadler trained Flightline, the 2022 Horse of the Year, and he trains Eagles Flight, runner-up in his comeback and expected to deliver a low-odds victory Sunday under Flavien Prat.
As for Tenma, the hope is her Santa Anita misfire was a one-off. After all, Santa Anita is her home base. Proven around two turns, Tenma will be ridden again by Juan Hernandez. Baffert’s eight wins in the Las Virgenes include the last three.
Baffert also entered Cipriani, who won her sprint debut by more than eight lengths with a mere 58 Beyer Speed Figure. At the very least, Cipriani will keep the pace honest.
Even though the highest Las Virgenes win payoff in 10 years was $4.60, upset candidates Our Moonlight and Just as Fancy merit attention.
Dean Pederson trains Our Moonlight, a Tapit filly who was up to a half-mile in works last summer when she came down with a tender shin. “I jogged her for 45 days, and she was ready to resume training when we left Del Mar. She hasn’t had a problem since,” Pederson said.
Our Moonlight rallied from behind to win her debut at six furlongs on Dec. 27. Based on her route physique and workouts, Pederson is confident she will stay two turns.
“There’s no doubt in my mind,” he said. “This filly, she acts like if it the race was a mile and a half [she would like it].”
Tiago Pereira rides Our Moonlight for Pederson, who recognizes what she is up against. “You’re giving away experience, and [she’s] never routed before,” he noted.
It might not matter. The last two Las Virgenes winners, Kinza and Faiza, were second-time starters stretching out from debut sprint wins.
Just as Fancy moves up after a blinkers-on maiden route win. Michael McCarthy trains Just as Fancy.
“She’s improving, I think the blinkers certainly helped last time,” he said. The maiden victory was her third start, and first route.
“She was just getting herself too far out of her races to even get close,” McCarthy said, explaining the blinkers. “She was taking herself totally out of contention, and not able to make up any ground.”
In the maiden mile, Just as Fancy popped the gate and wired the field under Flavien Prat, who rides her Sunday.
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