RESCHEDULED GRADED STAKES INCLUDING DERBY PREP

(Edited Santa Anita Park report)

ARCADIA, Calif. – Saturday’s anticipated recital by Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic champion Life Is Sweet in Santa Anita’s Grade II, $250,000 Santa Maria Handicap has taken on far wider interest with the addition of three graded stakes races washed out by the previous Saturday’s severe storm.

Resurfacing on Saturday’s 10-race program are the Grade I, $250,000 Las Virgenes Stakes featuring stellar 3-year-old filly Blind Luck, the Grade II, $200,000 Strub Stakes with likely choice Misremembered aiming for the March 6 Santa Anita Handicap, and the Grade II, $150,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-olds.

With the heightened interest in 3-year-olds this time of year, the 72nd running of the Lewis may well be the afternoon’s most compelling attraction as American Lion and Tiz Chrome, consensus picks among this year’s top ten Kentucky Derby prospects, gain their baptism around two turns in their respective seasonal debuts. They will be challenged by four others. Both colts are sons of 2000 Horse of the Year Tiznow, and as such, American Lion and Tiz Chrome seem well-suited to demonstrate their distance capabilities.

American Lion will be making his first start since a half-length victory in HollywoodPark’s Grade III Hollywood Prevue Stakes at seven furlongs on Nov. 21. Although on the sidelines, the handsome bay colt trained by Eoin Harty has been kept in constant training.

Owned and bred by the WinStar Farms of Kenny Troutt and Bill Casner, American Lion has been described as enormously talented but still immature. While delivering as the 7-10 favorite under regular rider Julien Leparoux in the Hollywood Prevue, he appeared to be unfocused through the stretch.

“He’s been a standout from the very beginning because he’s very imposing physically,” says Casner, whose WinStar Farms race several Derby hopefuls. “He’s been very immature,” adds Casner, “but he’s just so talented, he’s getting it done despite the immaturity.”

The homebred out of the Storm Cat mare, Storm Tide, has raced three times. Leparoux, the 2009 Eclipse Award winning jockey, climbed aboard for American Lion’s 6 ¾-length maiden win over seven furlongs at Keeneland following a second-place debut at ArlingtonPark.

Unbeaten Tiz Chrome has raced but twice, but is expected to be a slight favorite over American Lion. He won his six-furlong debut at Churchill Downs last Nov. 1 by 3 ¼ lengths. Transferred to the barn of Hall of Famer Bob Baffert by the partnership of the Lanni Family Trust, Mercedes Stable and Schiappa, Tiz Chrome performed spectacularly in wining HollywoodPark’s Stuka Stakes by four lengths on Dec. 19 while covering 6 ½ furlongs in 1:14. 2/5.

“He’s a pretty serious horse,” said Baffert, who has likened Tiz Chrome to his 1997 Kentucky Derby winner, Silver Charm. “He’s very laid back,” Baffert said, “but once he gets into the starting gate, he becomes a different horse.” Garrett Gomez rides Tiz Chrome, whose unusual body markings suggest a chrome finish.

California-bred gelding Caracortado will put his four-race, unbeaten record on the line in the Lewis with Paul Atkinson riding for the fifth time. Trained by breeder Michael Machowsky for Blahut Racing and Lo Hi Racing, the son of Cat Dreams is coming off a 1 ¾-length win in the $100,000 California Breeders’ Championship over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Dec. 26. Caracortado shows earnings of $109,200 from his unblemished mark.

Renamed in memory of the noted horse owner and philanthropist in 2007, the Lewis, formerly known as the Santa Catalina Stakes, has produced five of the last 15 winners of the April 3 Santa Anita Derby, local racing’s major stepping stone to the Kentucky Derby.

The complete field for the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, with jockeys and weights in post position order: Dave in Dixie, Joel Rosario, 115; Tiz Chrome, Garrett Gomez, 117; American Lion, Julien Leparoux, 117; Caracortado, Paul Atkinson, 117, and Tango Tango, Rafael Bejarano, 115.

The 68th running of the Santa Maria at 1 1/16 miles marks the return to action of Life Is Sweet following her 2½-length triumph under Gomez at odds of 8-1 in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic on Nov. 6. She will carry high weight of 123 pounds against eight challengers who will be getting at least five pounds from the champion.

Trained by John Shirreffs for Martin and Pam Wygod, Life Is Sweet made up nearly 17 lengths in the closing stages of her decisive victory over Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface in the Breeders’ Cup. “I’m glad she picked today to show up,” Gomez said in the winner’s circle. “Her campaign this summer was very difficult.”

She had chased stablemate Zenyatta three times and finished third against males in the Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup after winning three graded stakes at Santa Anita earlier in the year. Life Is Sweet enters the Santa Maria with earnings of $1,770,810 from an overall record of 6-3-1 in 15 starts.

Second high weight at 118 pounds is Mushka, runner-up to Life Is Sweet in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic. Kent Desormeaux is due to fly in from the East to ride the 5-year-old millionaire mare for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. A winner via disqualification of Keeneland’s Grade I Spinster Stakes prior to the Breeders’ Cup, Mushka has earned $1,083,625 for Brushwood Stable. The daughter of Empire Maker has built a record of 6-3-3 in 17 races.

Assigned 116 pounds, St Trinians has won her three starts in the United States by a combined 14 ¾ lengths including a 3¾ length score in Santa Anita’s Paseana Handicap on Jan. 9. Joel Rosario rides the 5-year-old mare who will be making her graded stakes debut for Mike Mitchell, who trains the English-bred import for Daniel Capen and Laura Chavers. St Trinians has posted an overall record of 6-0-3 in 10 starts for earnings of $118,587.

The complete field for the Santa Maria Handicap, with jockeys and weights in post position order: My Baby Baby, Alex Solis, 114; Pretty Unusual, Atkinson, 117; St Trinians, Rosario, 116; Mushka, Kent Desormeaux, 118; Zardana, Victor Espinoza, 117; Once Upon A Grace, Joseph Talamo, 111; Czechers, Chantal Sutherland, 113; Life Is Sweet, Gomez, 123; and Spring Style, Luis Medina, 114.

Blind Luck, a female who is nominated to the Santa Anita Derby, is expected to be an overwhelming favorite among six 3-year-old fillies in Saturday’s 28th running of the Grade I Las Virgenes Stakes at one mile.

An $11,000 yearling purchase, Blind Luck was sold privately to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and partners following a 13¼-length maiden victory on Jan. 21 of last year at Calder Race Course. She proceeded to earn $709,050 in 2009 with two Grade I triumphs, a second in another and a troubled third when beaten by less than one length in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. “Blind Luck will have to regress quite a bit for anyone to have a chance (of beating her),” noted Eric Kruljac, who trains rival La Nez.

Blind Luck rebounded from her troubled setback as the 7-2 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies to put on a dazzling display in HollywoodPark’s Grade I Starlet Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 20. “Wow!” was jockey Rafael Bejarano’s terse comment in the winner’s circle.

With Bejarano aboard for the first time, Blind Luck demolished a strong field in the $405,250 event to win by seven lengths while being timed in 1:41.96 over HollywoodPark’s Cushion Track. Even the usually unflappable veteran Hollendorfer was impressed. “That was exciting,” he said. “I’ve never seen her move like that.”

Blind Luck’s other Grade I win came in Oak Tree’s $300,000 Oak Leaf Stakes on Oct. 4. She was victorious by 2 ½ lengths over Always a Princess while clocked for 1 1/16 miles over Santa Anita’s main track in 1:43.19. It was her two-turn debut.

“After she broke her maiden, the owner offered her for sale, and we bought her right away,” Hollendorfer said. “She was just a nice big filly, and she won so easy.” A daughter of Pollard’s Vision, Blind Luck will carry high weight of 122 pounds in the Las Virgenes with Bejarano back in the saddle. While breaking from the rail, she will try to add her name to a slate of past winners that includes Althea, Fran’s Valentine, Lite Light, Serena’s Song and Sharp Cat.

The complete field for the Las Virgenes Stakes, with jockeys and weights in post position order: Blind Luck, Bejarano, 122; Evening Jewel, Espinoza, 118; Crisp, Rosario, 118; Switch, Tyler Baze, 116; La Nez, Mike Smith, 118; and Summer Games, Michael Baze, 116.

The fourth major stakes race on the revamped program is the historic Strub Stakes with a guaranteed purse of $200,000 for 4-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. Misremembered, winner of HollywoodPark’s Swaps Stakes last July and runner-up to speedster M One Rifle when favored in Santa Anita’s Grade I Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26, is the probable choice in a field of 10.

Misremembered will attempt to join a list of nine Strub winners that went on to capture the Santa Anita Handicap. When examining the list, the accomplishment becomes all the more notable: 2005, Rock Hard Ten; 2000, General Challenge; 1992, Best Pal; 1988, Alysheba; 1980, Spectacular Bid; 1979, Affirmed; 1975, Stardust Mel; 1961, Prove It; 1958, Round Table, and 1953, Mark-Ye-Well.

Trained by Baffert for his wife, Natalie, and George Jacobs, Misremembered has been first or second in 7 of his 9 starts with the only exceptions being his maiden debut and a challenge against older horses in Del Mar’s Grade I, $1,000,000  Pacific Classic when a 3-year-old last year.

The son of Candy Ride, who was bred by Bob Baffert, will take earnings of $698,589 into the Strub from a 4-3-0 record in his nine races. Victor Espinoza rides the chestnut ridgling who will share high weight of 121 pounds with Rendezvous, the only other graded stakes winner in the lineup.

The latter is trained by co-owner Hollendorfer and bears a 4-2-5 record in 16 starts for earnings of $358,505. Rendezvous, who will be ridden by Bejarano, is winless in three starts since scoring a 22-1 upset in the Grade II Del Mar Derby last Sept. 6.

Smart Bid, weighted at 119 pounds with Mike Smith to ride, edged Rendezvous for the place behind Papa Clem in the Grade II San Fernando Stakes on Jan. 16 after fading to seventh in the Malibu. Trained by H. Graham Motion for Augustin Stable, Smart Bid shows earnings of $198,918 from a 3-2-2 record in nine starts.

The complete field for the Strub Stakes, with jockeys and weights in post position order: Misremembered, Espinoza, 121; Massone, Rosario, 117; Viscount, Gomez, 117; Gallant Son, Solis, 117; Jeranimo, Martin Garcia, 117; Heavenly Wind, Tyler Baze, 117; Acclamation, David Flores, 117; Rendezvous, Bejarano, 121; Eagle Poise, Leparoux, 117; and Smart Bid, Smith, 119.

First post for the 10-race program is at 12:30 p.m. The series of graded stakes races starts in the fourth with the Las Virgenes. The Lewis will be contested as the sixth race with the Santa Maria going as the eighth and the Strub as the ninth.