Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita
Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes is on tap for this Saturday, September 29 during the second day of Santa Anita's autumn meet. A purse of $250,000 is on the line for fillies and mares three years old and upward willing to go 1 1/4 miles on Santa Anita's turf track. The Rodeo Drive serves as a Win and You're In qualifier for the Breeders' Cup here in November.
A full field of 13 females will line up in the Rodeo Drive - race 9 on Santa Anita's Saturday card. Post time is 5:08 PM. Here is a glimpse into the past performances of all 13 combatants and what brought them to this Grade 1 event.
2012 Rodeo Drive Stakes Race Favorites
Marketing Mix - has won six of her last nine starts since switching to turf and three of five in 2012 with one second - last time out in the Grade 1 Beverly D Stakes at Arlington August 18. She won in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly to follow another score in the Grade 2 Nassau Stakes after an uncharacteristic fourth in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes. Her other win this year was an Allowance at Keenaland. She has been terrific this year and should be the favorite on Saturday.
City to City - is a multiple Grade 2 winner who won the competitive Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes in February before a rough patch saw her finish fourth in the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes, seventh in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes, fourth in the Grade 1 Gameley, and seventh in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine. City to City bounced back from those poor results with a surprise score in the Grade 2 John C. Mabee and followed that with a second last time out in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar September 3.
Rodeo Drive Stakes 2012 | Remaining Field Entries
Let's Go Cheyenne - most recently won the CTT and Thoroughbred Owners of California Handicap after two wins, a second and a third in her other four starts in 2012 - all Allowance and Maiden Special Weight races.
Cambina - won the Grade 1 American Oaks Stakes over a year ago but hasn't been the same since. Cambina finished fifth in the Grade 1 Gamely on May 28 to follow up an impressive second in the Grade 2 Santa Barbara Handicap to Capital Plan. Cambina had a sixth in the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes a fifth in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Handicap to start this year and had an eighth place finish at the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf to end 2011. She registered a very close second in the Grade 3 Beverly Hill Handicap two starts ago but most recently was a disappointing fourth in the Grade 3 John C. Mabee. Cambina has been inconsistent but when right she has been a challenger
My Gi Gi - won her first graded stakes race two starts ago - the Grade 2 Honeymoon Handicap over Lady of Shamrock and Stormy Lucy to follow an OK second in the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes on May 5. Last time out an OK fourth in the Del Mar Oaks to follow a second to Lady of Shamrock in the Grade 1 American Oaks on July 14. She also had a fourth in the Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita in October followed by a twelfth in the Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Despite some pedestrian early-career results, My Gi Gi is in decent form as demonstrated by her win and two second place finishes in her last four starts.
Nereid - has placed in six of her 10 career starts but has stumbled lately including a sixth last time out in the John C. Mabee, a fourth in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine, a sixth in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes as 2-1 favorite and a fourth in the Grade 3 Wilshire before that. She has yet to place in any of her four starts of 2012 but had three wins including an impressive score at the Grade 1 American Oaks Stakes last July and she raced to two third place finishes in 2011 - the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in August and the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes in October at Keeneland. Nereid has shown form in the past but has struggled to find it so far this year.
Rodeo Drive Stakes betting at Santa Anita with OffTrackBetting.com
Go Forth North - has two third place finishes this year - the American Beauty Stakes and the Grade 2 John C. Mabee but was fourth last time out in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar three weeks ago. Go Forth North hasn't tasted victory since the Grade 3 Harold Ramser Sr. Handicap in October 2010. She has three wins, two seconds and seven third place finishes in 19 career starts.
Stormy Lucy - had won three straight races before the Honeymoon Handicap - two Allowance races and the Golden Poppy Stakes at Golden Gate on May 6. She finished a respectable third in the Honeymoon by just a half length and followed that up with a pedestrian fifth in the Grade 1 American Oaks. Last time out was a better performance however - a second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks. Stormy Lucy has shown form in the past and may be ready for another streak starting Saturday.
Camelia Rose - was fifth most recently in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon after a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming. She has two seconds in six starts this year - no placings in a stakes race however.
Vivo Per Lei - Tom Proctor trained mare hadn't seen any graded stakes action in quite some time before a fifth three starts back at the Grade 3 Eatontown. She followed that with a fifth in an Allowance Optional Claiming and most recently was third in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon. She has just three wins in 15 career starts and is a long shot to contend this week.
Left a Message - finished fourth in the Grade 3 Regret Stakes to follow a pair of wins - an Allowance at Keeneland and a Maiden Special Weight at Gulfstream. Last time out was an OK second in the CTT and Thoroughbred Owners of California Handicap after a sixth in the Grade 1 American Oaks Stakes.
Thisismystage - will make her graded stakes debut after a third in the CTT and Thoroughbred Owners of California Handicap last time out and a pair of fourths before that in Allowance races.
I Dazzle - will make her stakes debut after eight Allowance and Maiden Special Weight races yielded two wins a second and a third place finish.
