Tiz Midnight, Yahilwa square off in Bayakoa

Los Alamitos opened the doors on its inaugural Thoroughbred winter meet

Thursday, and the first stakes to take place during the 12-day stand is

Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000

Bayakoa Stakes sending distaffers 1 1/16 miles. The race drew six runners,

with two exiting performances in the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Tiz Midnight is one of those two Breeders' Cup alum who hopes to close out

2014 on a winning note. The lightly raced four-year-old took four tries to break

her maiden, but did so in emphatic fashion in her first start back from a

five-month layoff. She followed that 11-length romp at Santa Anita with a pair

of Del Mar optional claiming scores before just missing by three parts of a

length to multiple champion Beholder in the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes on September

27.

Tiz Midnight proved her mettle in the Zenyatta, and it was enough for trainer

Bob Baffert to send the bay miss to the Breeders' Cup, where she pressed the

fast early pace before fading to sixth on the wire. That was her first unplaced

finish and the Midnight Lute filly is looking for a return to the winner's

circle with jockey Victor Espinoza aboard.

Now back in California, Yahilwa will attempt to enhance her resume with a win

Sunday under jockey Mike Smith.

Joining Tiz Midnight in the Breeders' Cup gate on October 31 was

Peruvian-import Valiant Emilia (Pegasus Wind). The Pegasus Wind mare was making

her U.S. debut, and first start since June, in that spot and could only manage

eighth. The Group 3-scoring mare has room for improvment, and gave notice of

that with a sharp five-furlong move November 30 for trainer Gary Mandella.

Rafael Bejarano has the call.

The other three entrants in the Bayakoa are Legacy, who owns a track record

at the track from taking the Cypress Stakes this summer; Grade 2-placed stakes

victress Oscar Party, fourth in the Kathryn Crosby Stakes last out on Del Mar's

turf; and multiple stakes vixen Warren's Veneda, who was third in last year's

Bayakoa when it was making its final appearance at Hollywood Park.