By Jarrod Horak
My latest handicapping article and video features analysis of two stakes races at Santa Anita Park on Sunday, Jan. 11.
Las Flores field:
1 – Ooty (9-2)
2 – Thermal (9-5)
3 – Margarita Girl (7-2)
4 – Mawu (5-1)
5 – Magnificat (3-1)
6 – No Bad Beats (12-1)
7 – Donttellourwives (30-1)
The Grade 3, $100,000 Las Flores is for fillies and mares dashing 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track. It is the 5th race on Jan. 11 and the scheduled post time is 5:00 PM ET.
Las Flores Analysis (Top Contenders)
Magnificat was 6-1 in her turf sprint bow and she dueled and missed by a head, and she was demoted to third. Winner Sunglow was a next-out winner, and this filly moved to dirt, tracked the pace, and graduated by a neck at this course and distance on Oct. 25. She was 5-1 in her first start vs. winners on Nov. 16 and she dueled and prevailed by a neck, and she earned a quality number that day. She scratched out of the La Brea (G1) on Dec. 28 and is working steadily for this engagement.
Thermal returned to dirt and smartly wired the field in a local optional-claiming event on Oct. 17. Her winning rider Hector Berrios will probably put her on the lead and she might not look back if she clears off early and runs as fast as she did last time.
Margarita Girl was the favorite in all six starts. She hit the board in her first five outings and got over the hump at this distance at Del Mar on Aug. 21 (show finisher next-out winner). She should be forwardly placed under her new rider Ricky Gonzalez.
Ooty won a pair of races in Argentina in 2024. She shipped to California and landed the place behind Splendora in an optional claiming race. She stretched out and raced wide and eased in the Tranquility Lake on Sept. 1 and the top three finishers were next-out winners including Splendora in the BC Filly & Mare Sprint. She turns back and Juan Hernandez is her new rider.
Las Cienegas Stakes field:
1 – Queen Maxima (1-1)
2 – Egyptian Mau (6-1)
3 – Princesa Moche (12-1)
4 – Spicybug (8-1)
5 – Omnipontet (30-1)
6 – Miss Lizzy (10-1)
7 – Rosie Jeeks (12-1)
8 – Nay V Belle (4-1)
9 – Antifona (30-1)
The Grade 3, $100,000 Las Cienegas Stakes is for fillies and mares dashing 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill turf course. It is the 8th race on Jan. 11 with a scheduled post time of 6:30 PM ET.
Las Cienegas Analysis (Top Contenders)
Queen Maxima is 4-for-5 with a runner-up finish at Santa Anita and 2-for-3 with a place finish at this distance on turf. She got back on the winning track as the favorite in the Senator Ken Maddy on Oct. 31. The inside post can be tricky to navigate on the downhill course and the number say that she is clearly the one to beat.
Princesa Moche pressed and scored in her turf sprint bow in October and she stretched out and won again at one mile on turf in November. Mirco Demuro guided her home in both of those races and she should be right up on the pace at square odds.
Egyptian Mau ran well in all three turf sprints in this country. She was third to Queen Maxima last January and rallied to finish a neck behind Nay V Belle in August. Last time, she went last-to-first at this course and distance. Mike Smith sticks with Neil Drysdale’s improving closer.
Spicybug is 4-for-5 with a show finish at Santa Anita and she won her lone start at this distance in October. She drops and turns back after finishing last of 9 as a 58-1 outsider in the Grade 1 Matriarch.
Nay V Belle finished less than two lengths behind Queen Maxima in the Senator Ken Maddy, and she was 8th of 10 in the Stormy Liberal last time. I like her tactical speed and outside post, and the trip should work out under Umberto Rispoli. The main question is the added ground.
Las Flores and Las Cienegas Video