Santa Anita: Las Virgenes is feature among 3 graded stakes

A pair of dazzling maiden winners, Richard Mandella-trained Kopion and Bob Baffert-trained Kinza, stretch out and head a competitive field of five sophomore fillies and mares going one mile on the main track in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita.

Originally scheduled to be run last weekend, the Las Virgenes and the San Marcos (G2) were rescheduled to avoid stormy weather. They joined the Palos Verdes (G3) on the Saturday card that starts at 3:30 p.m. EST. The Las Virgenes will be the fifth of 10 races with a post time at about 5:30 p.m. EST.

Click here for Santa Anita entries and results.

An important prep to both the Santa Anita Oaks, the Las Virgenes provides a 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying points to the top five finishers as long as they are eligible.

In the coin flip of a handicapper, Kopion gets the top nod as she not only demonstrated keen natural speed in her second start but the ability to ration it, in prevailing over three rivals going seven furlongs by 5 3/4 lengths at Santa Anita on Jan. 7. Breaking from the rail with Prat, who rides again Saturday, Kopion broke like a shot and shied a bit coming out of the seven-furlong chute but settled into a nice rhythm in winning with consummate ease as the 1-5 favorite.

A $270,000 Keeneland September yearling, Kopion is by Omaha Beach out of the Victory Gallop mare Galloping Ami and is owned by Spendthrift Farm.

With Prat back aboard for the third time, he’ll have to play the break and then likely engage in a cat-and-mouse game as Kinza could be the speed of the speed.

Dismissed at 5-1 in her six-furlong maiden debut Dec. 29, Kinza broke sharply and was pressured by Peter Eurton-trained Ms Bo J to her outside. Kinza gained the advantage a half-mile from home and couldn’t have been more impressive thereafter. She came away from 10 rivals in mid-stretch in eye-catching fashion, winning by 7 1/2 lengths under Juan Hernandez, who rides her back Saturday.

A $350,000, 2-year-olds-in-training-sale purchase in past May, Kinza is owned by Michael Lund Petersen and is by Carpe Diem out of the Quality Road mare Secret Wonder.

In considering her capacity to stretch to a flat mile, her gallop-out following the maiden score was equally as impressive as her winning margin. It appeared Kinza was a football field clear of her rivals by the time she hit the midway point on the clubhouse turn.

A gutty, nose winner from off the pace in the ungraded Desi Arnaz going seven furlongs two starts back at Del Mar on Nov. 18, Baffert-trained Nothing Like You unleashed a dazzling, gate-to-wire run stretching to 1 1/16 miles in the Starlet (G2) at Los Alamitos on Dec. 9, winning by 5 1/4 lengths and earning a 79 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form.

A Kentucky-bred daughter of Malibu Moon out of the Brother Derek mare Miss Derek, Nothing Like You aired by 6 1/2 lengths in breaking her maiden at one mile three starts back Oct. 14 and is well-seasoned, winning three races and placing second once from six starts. With Juan Hernandez opting to stick with Baffert’s Kinza, Frankie Dettori has the riding assignment Saturday.

Owned by Georgia Hunt, Jeff Giglio and John Rogitz, Nothing Like You seeks her fourth win and her third stakes victory in a row. Second when she was beaten by 5 1/4 lengths by Nothing Like You in the Starlet, Tim Yakteen-trained Great Forty Eight will hope to be running on late as she takes on tougher fillies Saturday.

Owned by Firebird Racing, Great Forty Eight broke her maiden going a flat mile two starts back Nov. 12 at Del Mar and had been ridden by J.G. Torrealba in her last four starts. Kazushi Kimura takes over Saturday.

Great Forty Eight, who is by Constitution out of the Exchange Rate mare Angelo’s Ashes, has a win and a second from five overall starts.

Missed the Cut could upset San Marcos

Back in top form with a return to grass, John Sadler-trained Missed the Cut will hope to spring a mild upset in the $100,000 San Marcos (G3) when six older horses go 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita, the eighth race at about 7 p.m. EST.

Never a factor when 12th and last in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 4, Missed the Cut rebounded with a solid second, beaten by 1 1/4 lengths in the San Gabriel (G2) going a 1 1/8 miles Dec. 26 on the same turf course as this weekend’s race.

Although multiple-stakes winner Planetario rates a huge chance in the San Marcos, Missed the Cut proved he can run with the talented Brazil-bred four starts back in the Del Mar Handicap (G2) as he missed third money by a nose while checking in one length clear of Planetario at 1 3/8 miles on turf.

A 5-year-old full horse by Quality Road, Missed the Cut won the Tokyo City Cup (G3) on dirt three starts back Oct. 1. He will be ridden for the first time by Joel Rosario in what will be his sixth Southern California start for Sadler.

Originally based in England, Missed the Cut is owned by Bee Zee, Lanes End Racing, St. Elias Stables, Edward Babington, Edward Hudson Jr. and Lynne Hudson. With five wins and two seconds from 15 starts, he has earnings of $325,777.

Idle since taking the Hollywood Turf Cup (G2) by a neck going 1 1/2 miles Nov. 24 at Del Mar, Planetario is a 6-year-old full horse bred in Brazil. He also took the marathon San Juan Capistrano (G3) five starts back on June 18. It was his lone win from four tries over the Santa Anita lawn.

A two-time Group I winner in Brazil, Planetario has run seven times for Mandella, the last six in graded stakes, winning two and running second in the San Luis Rey (G2) on May 13. A dedicated, deep closer, Planetario will be handled by regular rider Hector Berrios as his connections hope for a realistic pace at which to run.

Speaking of early pace, George Papaprodromou-trained Balladeer showed the way to deep stretch when finishing fourth, beaten by two lengths in the 1 1/2-mile Hollywood Turf Cup (G2) on Nov. 24. He should be on the early lead again under regular pilot Victor Espinoza.

Although outrun when ninth going 1 1/2 miles on turf two starts back in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 4, Balladeer took the John Henry Turf Championship (G2) in gate-to-wire fashion three starts back on Oct. 1 and rates big chance Sunday as he seeks his second graded-stakes victory.

A 5-year-old full horse by Distorted Humor, Balladeer is owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran. With a mark of 20: 4-2-2, he has earnings of $419,290.

Hopkins defends for Baffert in Palos Verdes

With a recent race under his belt, Hopkins should be very tough as he and Baffert defend their title in the $100,000 Palos Verdes Stakes (G3), race 2 on Saturday at about 4 p.m. EST.

A race that for many years served as Santa Anita’s traditional opening day headliner, the 72nd Palos Verdes attracted a field of five older sprinters.

A lightly raced full horse at age 6, Hopkins had been idle nearly nine months prior to running second, beaten by 1 1/4 lengths, as the 4-5 favorite in a six-furlong classified allowance at Santa Anita on Jan. 19.

A close fourth going six furlongs in the Golden Shaheen (G1) in Dubai March 25, Hopkins notched his first stakes win two starts back when taking the Palos Verdes on Feb. 5, 2023, with Hernandez.

Aside from the Golden Shaheen, Hernandez had ridden Hopkins exclusively in 8 of 9 career starts. With Hernandez back in the saddle Saturday, the son of Quality Road out of the Salt Lake mare Hot Spell should be tough to deny in his second start off the bench.

Owned by the partnership led by SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables, Hopkins is 9: 3-4-0 with earnings of $359,700.

The lone California-bred in the field, Mandella-trained Big City Lights is a 5-year-old full horse by Mr. Big. He comes off an impressive, second-condition allowance win going 6 1/2 in open company Jan. 6. He earned a career-top 98 Beyer.

A two-time stakes winner with four runner-up performances in state-bred stakes competition, Big City Lights will be ridden back by red-hot Prat, who bagged three stakes wins Saturday and is tied with 23 wins atop the jockey standings with Hernandez.

Out of the Exchange Rate mare Champagne Exchange, Big City Lights is owned by William Peoples. He has four wins and as many seconds from eight starts, good for earnings of $332,420.