Comebacking fillies look to regroup

CYPRESS, Calif. – Gas Station Sushi and Rayya start over Saturday at Los Alamitos.

Four months after running below expectations at Churchill Downs, the California-based fillies return in the $75,000 Beverly J. Lewis Stakes, a six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies that is the first stop on the road to redemption.

Gas Station Sushi finished a distant third in the Grade 2 Eight Belles on May 4 at Churchill. Later that day, Rayya finished 13th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. Although neither filly has raced since, both are training well for the Lewis.

Gas Station Sushi is the 8-5 favorite, Rayya is 2-1. The Lewis (race 8) includes stakes winners Steph Being Steph and Spiced Perfection, along with allowance-caliber Wicked Storm and Best of Me, and outsider Broome.

Richard Baltas trains Gas Station Sushi, who won a Grade 3 in April at Keeneland, then needed time following the Eight Belles. “She came back, and she was just a little stiff,” he said. “She’s come back to work really well, and she looks really good. She’s ready to run.”

Plans call for Gas Station Sushi to target a pair of lateseason sprints for 3-year-old fillies – the Grade 2 Raven Run on Oct. 8 at Keeneland, and Grade 1 La Brea, traditionally run Dec. 26 at Santa Anita.

Gas Station Sushi has won 2 of 3, and runs well fresh. She won first time out at age 2, and her first start back at age 3.

Rayya started the year in Dubai, following up a win in the Group 3 UAE Oaks on March 1 with a runner-up finish in the Group 2 UAE Derby on the Dubai World Cup undercard at the end of that month. But her first start for Bob Baffert in the Kentucky Oaks was a disaster. She broke awkwardly and finished next to last. Rayya also appears to have trained well for her return.

Steph Being Steph, a stakes winner last year, finished a head behind Grade 1 winner Moonshine Memories in her most recent start July 19. She is trained by Brian Koriner, who also entered Spiced Perfection.