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Teddy's Promise tops Santa Monica; Killer Graces returns in Santa Ysabel The Grade 1, $300,000 Santa Monica Stakes and Grade 3, $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes are the centerpiece events of Santa Anita's Sunshine Millions Day card on Saturday. Likely Santa Monica favorite Teddy's Promise, trained by Ron Ellis for owner/breeders Ted and Judy Nichols, won her third straight race when taking the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes on New Year's Eve and returns against six rivals in Saturday's seven-furlong contest for distaffers. The four-year-old's class really shown through when taking the La Brea at 16-1 over the likes of three-time Grade 1 winner Turbulent Descent. "I think she's still improving," Espinoza said in anticipation of being reunited with the daughter of Salt Lake. "She's getting better and better. In past races, she was on the lead, but I think Ron (Ellis) has figured out that she's better coming from off the pace. He's done an unbelievable job with her." Rumor, a four-year-old daughter of Indian Charlie, will be seeking her first graded stakes victory in the Santa Monica. She has never been worse than second while winning four of her seven career starts, including the C.E.R.F. Stakes and Kalookan Handicap in her last two. Mike Smith will take over in the saddle for the injured Garrett Gomez aboard the Richard Mandella trainee. "Richard has taken his time with her and done a tremendous job," Gomez said following the filly's 2 1/4-length victory in the Kalookan Queen. Big Tiz was scheduled to make her second start of the year in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes last Saturday, but was scratched out of that event. Instead, the Mark Glatt charge will show up here off a third to Rumor in the Kalookan Queen. That New Year's Day race was Big Tiz's first outing since a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Railbird Stakes on May 21. The Tiznow filly also gets a rider switch, from Joel Rosario, who has the call on La Brea fourth-placer Home Sweet Aspen, to Corey Nakatani. The seven-year-old She's Cheeky is the veteran of this group, and the Black Minnaloushe mare will make her seasonal bow off a near five-month break following a second in the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap. Dual stakes winner Sugarinthemorning, second in the La Brea, and Grade 3-placed Bella Diamante complete the Santa Monica field. The 45th running of the Santa Ysabel for thre-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles completes Santa Anita's stakes presentations. Its lineup of seven includes Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet winner Killer Graces and runner-up Charm the Maker. They will face the talented Eden's Moon, who broke her maiden by 11 1/2 lengths for trainer Bob Baffert while going one mile on January 8. Killer Graces and Charm the Maker renew their rivalry in the Santa Ysabel after the latter came out a half-length behind in the Starlet on December 10. Prior to that one, the pair met up in the November 13 Sharp Cat Stakes, with Charm the Maker overtaking Killer Graces in the lane to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Both have been freshened since then. Joe Talamo is the regular rider for Killer Graces, a Congaree chestnut trained by Jerry Hollendorfer. Rafael Bejarano replaces Gomez atop the Empire Maker homebred Charm the Maker, who is trained by Ron McAnally and owned by his wife, Deborah. Kaleem Shah purchased Eden's Moon at auction for $390,000 last May and the daughter of Malibu Moon was 2-5 when beaten by well-regarded Reneesgotzip in her six-furlong debut on December 18 at Hollywood Park. When stretched out to one mile at Santa Anita on January 8, she dominated her opposition while leading all the way home. Martin Garcia has the return riding assignment as Eden's Moon steps into graded competition.
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