American Gal, Union Strike meet again in Starlet
{{monthName}} {{day}}, {{year}} {{hour12}}:{{minuteTwoDigit}}{{dayPeriod}}
Photo:
Benoit Photo/Santa Anita
Trainer Bob Baffert, who won the Starlet three times at Hollywood Park, will try for his first win in the race since Streaming prevailed in 2013 when he sends out American Gal and Fact of Life.
The Starlet, whose past winners include Althea, Very Subtle, Goodbye Halo, Sardula, Serena’s Song, Surfside, Blind Luck and Take Charge Brandi, is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks’’ series. The winner Saturday will receive 10 points towards earning a berth in the Kentucky Oaks next May 5 in Louisville.
Hampered by a slow start and an extremely wide trip, American Gal was still able to run third in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 5, finishing four lengths behind upset winner Champagne Room as the lukewarm 4-1 favorite.
Owned by breeder Kaleem Shah Inc., the Concord Point filly out of the Ghostzapper mare American Story has won twice in three starts and banked $260,700.
A gray daughter of The Factor and the Tale of the Cat mare Mir Cat, Fact of Life has one win in three starts and earnings of $46,360 for Fog City Stable and Thomas VanMeter II.
Purchased for $260,000 at the Keeneland September sale in 2015, Fact of Life broke her maiden at Los Alamitos, winning a 5 ½ furlong race Sept. 8.
A Saturday sweep by Baffert of the CashCall Futurity and Starlet would be historic. No trainer has won both races in the same year.
Union Strike, who is being supplemented to the Starlet for $10,000, will be aiming for her second Grade I win of the year for Ruis Racing LLC.
Sixth in the BC Juvenile Fillies in her first start for trainer Craig Dollase, the daughter of Union Rags and the Smart Strike mare Classic Strike posted a 7-1 upset in the Del Mar Debutante Sept. 3 when conditioned by Shelbe Ruis.
A $375,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale in April, Union Strike has one win in three attempts and a bankroll of $212,600.
Trainer Doug O’Neill will have three representatives – last out maiden winners Go On Mary and Sandy’s Surprise and Mopotism, who is winless in two starts.
Go On Mary, a Broken Vow filly out of the Bluegrass Cat mare Blue Orleans, scored as the 5-2 favorite going six furlongs Nov. 12 in her third race for McShane Racing LLC. She has earned $41,040.
Owned by a partnership that includes STD Racing Stable, John Fuller and Neil Haymes, Sandy’s Surprise graduated in her third start, winning by 2 ¾ lengths at the Starlet distance Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.
The victory increased the earnings of the daughter of Drosselmeyer and the More Than Ready mare Sandi’s Ready to $49,160.
Mopotism, who has finished fifth and second in a pair of sprints, the latest behind Go On Mary last month, is an Uncle Mo filly out of the Bernardini mare Peppy Rafaela. She’s collected $11,600 for Reddam Racing LLC.
Second at 1-5 odds in the Pike Place Dancer Oct. 29 at Golden Gate Fields, Tapped returns to dirt for breeder LNJ Foxwoods and Jerry Hollendorfer, who is aiming for his third win in the Starlet. The Hall of Famer won with Blind Lulck (2009) and Killer Graces (2011) at Hollywood Park.
The Tapit filly won by a nose in her Santa Anita debut Oct. 2, rallying from off the pace to beat next out graduate Jilly. Out of the Speightstown mare Gemswick Park, Tapped has earned $46,200.
Abel Tasman has won twice in a row for breeder Clearsky Farms and trainer Simon Callaghan.
The daughter of Quality Road and the Deputy Minister mare Vargas Girl finished fifth in her Aug. 20 debut before defeating maidens at one mile Sept. 30 at Santa Anita, then winning a seven-furlong allowance Nov. 18 at Del Mar. She has banked $67,860.
Purchased for $550,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September sale, Berned will be making her first start outside New York for Three C Stables, West Point Thoroughbreds and Robert Masiello.
The Bernardini filly out of the Giant’s Causeway mare First Passage is 1-for-3 with earnings of $101,600 for trainer Tom Albertrani. She finished second behind eventual repeater Miss Sky Warrior in the Grade III Tempted Nov. 5 at Aqueduct .
Like Union Strike, Berned, Abel Tasman and Tapped were all supplemented to the Starlet.
From inside out, the field for the 36th Starlet: Go On Mary, Drayden Van Dyke rides, 120 pounds; Union Strike, Gary Stevens, 120; Tapped, Kent Desormeaux, 120; Mopotism, Mario Gutierrez, 120; Sandy’s Surprise, Santiago Gonzalez, 120; Abel Tasman, Joe Talamo, 120; American Gal, Mike Smith, 120; Fact of Life, Stewart Elliott, 120 and Berned, Norberto Arroyo, Jr., 120.
Source: Los Alamitos Race Course
Read More
With the Breeders’ Cup now in the rearview mirror, it’s time to take an initial look at the...
Kopion has been retired from racing after a fifth-place finish against males in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. The...
Wolfie's Dynaghost , a 7-year-old homebred gelding for Woodslane Farm, led all the way under Luis Saez to...
Delivering as the favorite, 3-year-old Disco Time not only won the Dwyer at Aqueduct. His triumph also made him...
Raging Sea , the two-time Grade 1 winner who most recently placed fourth in the Personal Ensign (G1),...