Sunday Rules, Warren's Veneda Head Great Lady M
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Sunday Rules, unchallenged in five starts, and Grade I winner Warren’s Veneda head a field of nine fillies and mares in the $200,000-guaranteed Great Lady M. Stakes Saturday at Los Alamitos.
Won a year ago by the California bred Doinghardtimeagain, the Great Lady M., which is run at 6 ½ furlongs, is the eighth of nine races. Approximate post time for the Grade II is 5:43 p.m. Post time Saturday is 2:15 p.m.
Trained by Phil D’Amato for owner-breeder Nick Alexander, Sunday Rules has won her races by a combined 27 ¼ lengths and earned $314,880.
A daughter of Tribal Rule and the General Meeting mare Sunday Dress, the 4-year-old will be making her graded stakes debut Saturday. Her latest victory came in the Spring Fever Stakes against fellow California breds May 23 at Santa Anita. She prevailed by three lengths as the 3-10 favorite.
Owned by breeder Benjamin C. Warren and trained by Craig Lewis, Warren’s Veneda is cutting back in distance after chasing champion Beholder in the Grade III Adoration Stakes June 13 at Santa Anita.
Out of the Flying Continental mare More Cal Bred, the daughter of Affirmative has won eight of 24. Her most significant victory was a 7 ¼ length blowout in the Grade I Santa Margarita March 14.
The 5-year-old mare, who hasn’t sprinted since finishing third in the Betty Grable Stakes last Nov. 9 at Del Mar, would go over $1 million in earnings with a victory Saturday. She’s been 1-2-3 in 18 of her races while banking $883,612.
Warren’s Veneda does have some Los Alamitos experience. She finished second behind favored Tiz Midnight in the Grade II Bayakoa at 1 1/16 miles last Dec. 6, losing by a head at 10-1. The narrow defeat was followed by three consecutive stakes victories at Santa Anita, capped by the Santa Margarita.
Runner-up after setting the pace in the 2014 Great Lady M., Amaranth will be looking for her second win in a row for Highland Yard LLC and trainer O.J. Jauregui.
The 4-year-old Mr. Greeley filly out of the Storm Boot mare Shedoesrock comes off a gate-to-wire shocker at 43-1 in the Desert Stormer June 14. The win was the fifth in 11 races for Amaranth and pushed her earnings to $227,370.
Fantastic Style also enters off a win, easily capturing the Angels Flight May 16. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert for owner Kaleem Shah, Inc., the 3 ¼ length win over favored Tara’s Tango was the third in five starts for the 3-year-old Harlan’s Holiday filly. Out of the Mr. Greeley mare Ruby Summer, Fantastic Style has a bankroll of $152,000.
Legacy is the lone member of the Great Lady M. cast with a local stakes win. The 5-year-old Sightseeting mare was a nose winner of the Cypress – at 1 1/16 miles – during the inaugural Summer Thoroughbred Festival.
Out of the Smart Strike mare Royal Flush, Legacy has three wins in 20 races and earnings of $233,625. John Sadler trains for owner-breeders John Jain, Lawrence Opas and Frank Sinatra.
Beaten 2 ½ lengths while fifth in the Desert Stormer, Living The Life will be looking for her initial victory on dirt for HnR Nothhaft Horse Racing LLC and trainer Gary Mandella.
Bred in Ireland by Michael Begley, the 5-year-old daughter of Footstepsinthesand and the Machiavellian mare Colour and Spice has won eight of 25 and earned $511,454, but seven of her wins have come over synthetic surfaces and the other was on turf in England in 2013.
Fourth in the Great Lady M. a year ago, Clearly Confused will be attempting to end an eight race losing streak.
Trained by Richard Baltas for Niles Dickey LLC, the 5-year-old Successful Appeal mare hasn’t won since taking an optional claimer more than 14 months ago. Out of the Allen’s Prospect mare Nice of You, Clearly Confused has won six of 27 and earned $237,435.
She competed in consecutive Grade I races in Kentucky earlier this year, finishing third at 27-1 in the Madison at Keeneland April 4, four weeks before finishing fifth in the Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs.
Harlington’s Rose finished directly behind Living the Life last month and was fifth of six in the Spring Fever for trainer Steve Knapp after winning the Grade III Las Flores in March at Santa Anita.
Owned by a partnership that includes Thomas Halasz, Ryan Johnson, Paul Newhart and Martha Miller, the 4-year-old Harlington filly out of the Orientate mare A Rose for You has won four of 23 and earned $374,290.
Ramona’s Wildcat returns to Los Alamitos for the first time since finishing second behind Uzziel in the Beverly J. Lewis last Sept. 6.
Trained by Doug O’Neill for a partnership that includes Steven Keh, Strait Pine Farm LLC and W.C. Racing, the 4-year-old Wildcat Heir filly out of the Indian Charlie mare Pretty Indian is 2-for-10 with a bankroll of $86,670.
She has lost eight in a row since beginning her career with consecutive victories at Sunland Park when trained by David Wolochuk.
From inside out, the field for the Great Lady M. Stakes: Amaranth, William Antongeorgi III rides, 119 pounds; Clearly Confused, Corey Nakatani, 119; Ramona’s Wildcat, Alex Solis, 119; Living The Life, Mike Smith, 121; Sunday Rules, Tyler Baze, 119; Fantastic Style, Rafael Bejarano, 114; Warren’s Veneda, Joe Talamo, 124; Harlington’s Rose, Alonso Quinonez, 124 and Legacy, Santiago Gonzalez, 119.
Source: Los Alamitos Race Course
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