Santa Anita: 3 graded-stakes winners clash in La Cañada

Graded-stakes winners Musical Mischief, Alpha Bella and Chatalas plus upstart Cavalieri are among a competitive group of fillies and mares in Sunday’s Grade 3, $100,000 La Cañada Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita.

Musical Mischief is back in Southern California after spending most of 2024 with trainer Michael McCarthy’s string in Kentucky. In September she won the Locust Grove (G2) at Churchill Downs going 1 1/16 miles. Then she tried the 1 1/8-mile Falls City (G3), also at Churchill Downs, on Nov. 28 and finished sixth when catching a muddy track.

Click here for Santa Anita entries and results.

In last year’s La Cañada, Musical Mischief finished fourth before relocating to the Midwest. Umberto Rispoli was aboard, and the 36-year-old Italy native has the call again this time around.

A 5-year-old mare by Into Mischief, Musical Mischief is 13: 4-2-1 with $518,776 in earnings for Qatar-based owner Wathnan Racing.

Alpha Bella returns to action following a freshening for trainer John Sadler and owner-breeder Don Alberto Stable. The 5-year-old Justify mare closed 2024 with consecutive runner-up finishes in the Zenyatta (G2) at Santa Anita in September and the Bayakoa (G3) at Del Mar on Nov. 2.

Alpha Bella will be ridden by Eclipse Award-finalist Flavien Prat. She has a record of 18: 3-6-2 with $455,615 in earnings.

Chatalas, trained by Mark Glatt, won the Chandelier (G2) at Santa Anita as a 2-year-old and last year added a win in the Indiana Oaks (G3) at Horseshoe Indianapolis in July. The 4-year-old Gun Runner filly most recently tried turf in the American Oaks (G1) on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita and never threatened when finishing eighth.

Chatalas has a record of 10: 3-1-2 with $393,670 in earnings for owner-breeder Dan Agnew, Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners and William Chatalas. She will be reunited with jockey Antonio Fresu, who was aboard for her wins in the Chandelier and American Oaks.

Cavalieri is an ascending 4-year-old for trainer Bob Baffert and owner Speedway Stable. She won her debut going a mile in front-running fashion at Del Mar in August and came right back to dominate allowance foes going a mile at Santa Anita on Oct. 12. The runner-up that day, Jubilant Joanie came back to win her next start.

By Nyquist, Cavalieri will have regular rider Juan Hernández in the irons.

Originally booked for Saturday, the La Cañada was pushed back a day as part of the rescheduling last week because of wildfires and poor air quality. The race will be run Sunday at 6:07 p.m. EST.