Warren's Veneda looks to make it three straight in Santa Margarita
Warren's Veneda looks to make it three straight in Santa
Margarita
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Warren's Veneda (Affirmative) recorded her first open stakes victory when posting a 5 1/2-length decision in the January 11 Paseana and the California-bred mare exits a 2 3/4-length tally in the February 14 Santa Maria (G2). The surging five-year-old will seek her third consecutive win when she lines up for Saturday's $400,000 Margarita (G1) at Santa Anita. She'll face six rivals at 1 1/8 miles on the main track with regular rider Tyler Baze. Trained by Craig Lewis, Warren's Veneda's form began to turn around noticeably when she returned to dirt with a head second in the December 6 Bayakoa (G2) following four consecutive outings on either turf or Polytrack. She registered equaled a career-best 97 BRIS Speed rating in the Santa Maria, which is tied for the top last-out figure in the Santa Margarita field along with East Coast invader Dame Dorothy (Bernardini). Last seen recording a two-length score in the January 17 Sunshine Millions Distaff at Gulfstream Park, Dame Dorothy also captured the Turnback the Alarm H. (G3) at Belmont Park last year. The four-year-old filly is trained by Todd Pletcher and makes her California debut with new rider Rafael Bejarano.
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Cassatt (Tapit) merits serious respect as she brings her speed out west. The
front-running gray filly owns a three-race stakes win streak, taking the January
24 Houston Ladies Classic most recently for trainer Larry Jones, and Fair
Grounds-based jockey Kerwin Clark accompanies the four-year-old.
Tiz Midnight (Midnight Lute) defeated Warren's Veneda in the aforementioned
Bayakoa two starts back and is eligible to rebound from a disappointing sixth as
the favorite in the Paseana. Conditioned by Bob Baffert, the five-year-old mare
finished a close second to Beholder (Henny Hughes) in the Zenyatta (G1) last
fall and wound up sixth after setting the pace in the Breeders' Cup Distaff
(G1). Martin Garcia regains the mount.
La Canada (G2) winner Thegirlinthatsong (My Golden Song) finished third as
the Santa Maria favorite last time and will be joined in the Santa Margarita
field by runner-up Uzziel (Harlington) and third-placer Legacy (Sightseeing).
Earlier on the program, stakes winners Go West Marie (Western Fame) and
Velvet Mesquite (In Excess) head a field of seven California-bred distaffers in
the $100,000
O'Brien on the about 6 1/2-furlong downhill turf course.
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