Las Flores Caps Huge Weekend

By Emily Shields 

Racing across the country reaches fever pitch on Saturday with Kentucky Derby preps, Kentucky Oaks preps, and supporting stakes, but there are only three graded stakes in the country on Sunday. The last of those is the Las Flores Stakes (G3), a $100,000 sprint for older fillies and mares going six furlongs at Santa Anita. It will run as the eighth of a nice-race card.

#1 Amuse (5-1) is a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro who will race for Richard Mandella. Drayden Van Dyke takes over on the filly, who comines in off a win in a December 30 allowance here over 6 ½ furlongs. She is unebaten in two tries on this course.

#2 Spectactor (8-1) has not raced since finishing poorly in a grade 1 at Saratoga and a grade 3 at Belmont last year. She was second in the last Santa Anita race she had, the grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks, in 2018, and otherwise holds two wins here. She is multiple grade 1 placed.

#3 Lady Suebee (6-1) is coming off a second place effort in a turf stakes here, but was also second in the off-the-turf Las Cienegas on January 12. She has been first or second in all four of her dirt starts, most of which came in New York before she was transferred from Chad Brown to John Sadler.

#4 True Royalty (20-1) last won at Del Mar on August 26, which was a grade 3 stakes event at Del Mar.

#5 Phantom Proton (20-1) has been in the top three spots in six of seven Santa Anita tries.

#6 Danuska’s My Girl (6-1) has won two in a row and has been top three in 9 of 12 lifetime starts. She goes for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and will try to make every step a leading one with her natural early speed.

#7 Dream Tree (3-1) was the big favorite in the grade 1 La Brea Stakes after being an unbeaten grade 1 winner, but finished eighth. The daughter of Uncle Mo has had two bullet workouts since then, and gets Mike Smith back today for trainer Bob Baffert.

#8 Emboldened (4-1) was third in the La Brea after winning the Angel Flight Stakes here in May. She only has four lifetime starts so far, all over a calendar year. Baffert trains for Godolphin.

#9 Show It N Moe It (5-1) is a California-bred who won the Spring Fever Stakes here last out. She has won her last two starts and been top three in eight of her last 11. Gary Sherlock trains the daughter of Grace Upon Grace, who worked a bullet four furlongs here March 22.

#10 Moon Kitty (20-1) rounds out the field. The five-year-old is making her 2019 debut after winning an off the grass sprint at Del Mar last out. Jack Carava trains.