Baffert nominates three fillies to Beverly J. Lewis

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has three of the 16 nominations to the $75,000-guaranteed Beverly J. Lewis Stakes.

The six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies will be run Saturday, Sept. 9, the third day of the Los Angeles County Fair meet at Los Alamitos.

The program will also include the $75,000-guaranteed E.B. Johnston Stakes for California breds (3-year-olds & up). The one-mile Johnston attracted 11 nominees, including defending champion Soi Phet and 2015 winner Ambitious Brew.

Baffert, who won the Lewis twice – Subsidized (2010) and Ondine (2013) when it was run at Fairplex Park (2009-2013) – nominated Fact of Life, Faypien and Grade I winner Noted and Quoted.

A gray daughter of The Factor and the Tale of the Cat mare Mir Cat, Fact of Life has won two of three starts at Los Alamitos, including a victory in an optional claimer during the Summer Thoroughbred Festival in July.

Owned by Baoma Corporation, Faypien, a Ghostzapper filly, was most recently second behind American Gal in the Grade I Test Aug. 5 at Saratoga. She had won three in a row prior to that runner-up finish, including a game victory in the Grade II Summertime Oaks June 17 at Santa Anita.

Noted and Quoted, a daughter of The Factor who has won two of nine for Speedway Stable LLC, earned her biggest win in the Chandelier last Oct. 1 at Santa Anita.

The other nominees for the Beverly J. Lewis include Alliford Bay, who has won three of four for trainer Blaine Wright and owner Peter Redekop in Northern California and Washington, first out maiden winner Anonymity, Classy Tune, Delitefull Lady, Freedom Journey, Lake Time, Meiji, Mother of Dragons, Munny Spunt, who won the Torrey Pines Stakes – via disqualification – Aug. 27 at Del Mar, Precious Dixie, who broke her maiden by 7 ½ lengths July 7 at Los Alamitos, Princess Karen, Queen Laila and Tapped.

Trained by Leonard Powell for a partnership, Soi Phet is a three-time stakes winner at Los Alamitos. The 9-year-old Tizbud gelding, who has earned $834,170 while winning 12 of 54 starts, won last year’s Johnston by a half-length as the 7-10 favorite. His other local stakes successes include the Los Alamitos Mile and Bertrando in 2014.

Owned by breeder Pamela Zeibarth and trained by Marty Jones, Ambitious Brew hasn’t started since winning the Bertrando Stakes July 8, his ninth victory in 25 races.

The 7-year-old gelded son of Tizbud, who has earned $669,425, defeated Soi Phet by nearly two lengths in the 2015 Johnston.

The other nominees include Ann Arbor Eddie, who is undefeated in two starts at Los Alamitos, including a win in the 2016 King Glorious Stakes, Avanti Bello, Edwards Going Left, Gold Rush Dancer, who captured the Grade III Longacres Mile Aug. 13 at Emerald Downs, He Will, Love My Bud, Lucky J Lane, Start a Runnin and Tough But Nice.

Opening day of the LACF meet is Thursday, Sept. 7. Entries for the Beverly J. Lewis and E.B. Johnston will be taken Wednesday, Sept. 6.