Reneesgotzip stretches out in Las Virgenes

Reneesgotzip, a Kentucky-bred daughter of City Zip trained by Peter Miller for the Lanni Family Trust, will be heavily favored to continue her sizzling streak when negotiating two turns for the first time in the Las Virgenes.

“We’ll see what happens,” said jockey Corey Nakatani, who reasoned that her style while sprinting suggested success routing. “She goes to the front and improves her position,” he said simply. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Reneesgotzip began her career with a wire-to-wire win at odds of 8-1 while defeating Baffert’s odds-on favorite Eden’s Moon by 2 ¼ lengths going six furlongs. Her next race was better yet, as she took the Grade II Santa Ynez Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs by 7 ¾ lengths. In the meantime, Eden’s Moon had come back to break her maiden by 11 ½ lengths while racing one mile.

In the Las Virgenes, Reneesgotzip will have to deal with three rivals who are stakes winners while routing, all at 1 1/16 miles: Killer Graces (Hollywood Park’s Grade I Starlet); Willa B Awesome (Santa Anita’s Grade III Santa Ysabel) and Charm the Maker (Hollywood Park’s Sharp Cat Stakes).

The complete field for the Las Virgenes Stakes (9th race), with jockeys and weights in post position order: Your Special Day, Smith, 117; Charm the Maker, Rosario, 117; Willa B Awesome, Pedroza, 119; Killer Graces, Talamo, 122; Eden’s Moon, Garcia, 117; Made to Love Her, Bejarano, 117; Reneesgotzip, Nakatani, 117, and Open Water, Espinoza, 117.