Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Three in L.A. Woman have designs on BC
ARCADIA, Calif. – Yuvetsi, Anonymity, and Skye Diamonds were the first three finishers of the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap on Aug. 12 at Del Mar. One may be bound for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs, pending the outcome of the Grade 3 L.A. Woman Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita.
Their trainers – John Sadler, Richard Mandella, and Bill Spawr – say the BC Filly and Mare Sprint is on their minds, but that a win in the $100,000 L.A. Woman Stakes is necessary to justify the journey.
“I think she needs to win,” Sadler said of Yuvetsi. “We’ll run Sunday and play it by ear.”
The L.A. Woman Stakes, at 6 1/2 furlongs, drew only five runners. The California-bred stakes winner Show It N Moe It and Classy Tune, who has yet to win a stakes, are the other runners in a small field.
KEY CONTENDERS
Yuvetsi, by Bodemeister Last 3 Beyers: 92-79-90
◗ Yuvetsi won her first graded stakes in the Rancho Bernardo at 6 1/2 furlongs, dueling for the lead before drawing away to win by 2 1/2 lengths. At the start of the year, Yuvetsi was running in allowance races with mixed results. She won her first start of the year, but lost her next three races before a win in the restricted Santa Lucia Stakes here at 1 1/16 miles in June.
“She’s improved, and we’re happy with what she’s done,” Sadler said.
Anonymity, by Tapit Last 3 Beyers: 87-93-93
◗ Anonymity had her stakes debut in the Rancho Bernardo, fighting for the lead but was unable to keep pace with Yuvetsi in the stretch. The loss came two weeks after an easy win by 8 1/4 lengths in an optional claimer at seven furlongs at Del Mar.
“I think I might have run her back a little too quick, and she didn’t respond like I’d hoped,” Mandella said.
◗ Anonymity drew the outside post in the L.A. Woman and is expected to be on the lead under jockey Flavien Prat. Anonymity has always raced within a halflength of the lead in the early stages of her five career starts and frequently has led.
“We’ll let Flavien figure that out,” Mandella said.
Skye Diamonds, by First Dude Last 3 Beyers: 78-88-74
◗ Skye Diamonds was fourth in the 2017 BC Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar and is winless in five starts this year. Her best result was a second to Marley’s Freedom in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes on July 7 at Los Alamitos. Marley’s Freedom later won the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga in August and was held out of the L.A. Woman Stakes in favor of the BC Filly and Mare Sprint.
◗ Skye Diamonds, who starts from the rail Sunday, was beaten 6 1/2 lengths by Yuvetsi in the Rancho Bernardo after fighting for the early lead.
“We tried to put her on the lead and everyone tried to make the lead,” Spawr said. “She’s a one-run filly.”