Thegirlinthatsong looks strong for Santa Maria Stakes
ARCADIA, Calif. – Thegirlinthatsong may be on the verge of a string of hits.
On Jan. 17, Thegirlinthatsong won the first graded stakes of her career in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes for 4-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita. The victory makes her the favorite for Saturday’s $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes for fillies and mares at the same distance.
“We’re seeing a horse that really likes this track and is improving,” said Dan Ward, assistant to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.
Thegirlinthatsong races for a partnership that bought her privately last summer. She was a stakes winner in Louisiana and Texas earlier in her career. Overall, Thegirlinthatsong has won 5 of 19 starts and earned $407,695.
The Santa Maria is a prep for the $400,000 Santa Margarita Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles March 14, the championship race for the older-female division at the winter-spring meeting. The Santa Maria field of 10 has remarkable depth, with nine stakes winners entered, including Awesome Baby, who won the Sunland Park Oaks last March, and Uzziel, a sprint stakes winner who will make her first start for trainer Keith Desormeaux.
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Key contenders
Thegirlinthatsong (Last 3 Beyers: 92-80-82)
* Thegirlinthatsong had an ideal trip in the La Canada, stalking the pace before taking the lead in early stretch. She extended her lead to 4 1/4 lengths at the finish, easily beating Lexie Lou, the winner of the 2014 Queen’s Plate at Woodbine.
* Rafael Bejarano rode Thegirlinthatsong in the La Canada and has the mount Saturday. He is expected to have her racing from a stalking position.
“I see a lot of speed stretching out in there,” Ward said. “We could get a good trip. When a horse wins, it makes them so confident.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Thegirlinthatsong. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is 30-4-5-2 with a $0.51 ROI over the past five years in dirt route graded stakes at Santa Anita with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Tiz Midnight (Last 3 Beyers: 67-93-87)
* Tiz Midnight won the Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes in track-record time at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 6 at Los Alamitos but was only sixth as the 7-10 favorite in the minor Paseana Stakes on a wet-fast track here Jan. 11. Trainer Bob Baffert said the track conditions of the Paseana worked against Tiz Midnight, who never took her customary position near the front.
“She doesn’t want to be rushed along,” he said.
Warren’s Veneda (Last 3 Beyers: 94-93-86)
* Trained by Craig Lewis, Warren’s Veneda is in the best form of her career. She was unlucky to lose the Bayakoa to Tiz Midnight, missing by a head, but rebounded to win the Paseana by 5 1/2 lengths.
Awesome Baby (Last 3 Beyers: 69-80-82)
* Awesome Baby, trained by Baffert, won two stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles last March, including the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes. After being sidelined for nine months, Awesome Baby was fifth as the favorite in the minor Kalookan Queen Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs Dec. 28, leading to early stretch before fading.
“Awesome Baby worked the other day behind horses,” Baffert said. “She seemed to work well that way. I hope she can come from off the pace.”
Sweet Marini (Last 3 Beyers: 85-85-81)
* Baffert has another runner in the Santa Maria in Sweet Marini, who was second in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes at seven furlongs Jan. 19. Sweet Marini never has won beyond 6 1/2 furlongs, which makes the Santa Maria an experiment, Baffert said.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Sweet Marini. Trainer Bob Baffert is 18-8-2-3 with a $3.61 ROI over the past two years going sprint to route in graded stakes at Santa Anita. Click for more details. – Dan Illman