La Cañada Stakes 2016 at Santa Anita Park

Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 2 La Cañada Stakes comes our way this Saturday, January 16 from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Fillies and mares four years old and upward will be after the winner's share of the $200,000 purse when they take to Santa Anita's dirt track and race 1 1/16 miles.

A field of seven have been confirmed for the La Canada Stakes - race 7 in Santa Anita's Saturday card. Post time is 3:30 PM. Let's take a peek into the past performances of all seven combatants for this Grade 2 stakes.

2016 La Cañada Stakes Race Favorites

Birdatthewire - three time graded winner in 2015 made her stakes debut January 24, 2014 one to remember - a win by 3 1/4 lengths in the Grade 2 Forward Gal Stakes for new trainer Tom Proctor and followed that with a decent second in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes February 21 and a good win in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks March 28. She has tailed off in three starts after that - a fourth in the Grade 2 Falls City Handicap at Churchill Downs November 26 followed consecutive fifths - the Grade 2 Chilukki Stakes on that same track November 7 and the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks back in May. Last time out was an impressive bounce-back upset effort - a win in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes here December 26. She now has four wins, two seconds and a third place finish in 11 career starts, has two wins in four starts at a mile and looked good very last time out. Drayden Van Dyke gets the call from gate 6.

Taris - Simon Callahan trained filly has placed in nine of 10 career starts - six wins, a second and two third place finishes. Last time out was a good win in the one mile Grade 3 Go for Wand Handicap at Aqueduct November 27 after consecutive thirds - in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint and in the Grade 3 LA Woman Stakes at Santa Anita October 4. Before that was a win in the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Stakes August 16 and a second in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes last December. She has been terrific in her career against some top quality fields - hopes are that she continues that trend Saturday although she was unplaced in her only other starts around two turns. Gary Stevens has the mount from the outside post 7.

La Cañada Stakes 2016 | Remaining Contenders

Yahilwa - had 13 starts in Britain with two wins, a second and four third place finishes before her North American debut - a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming January 26, 2014. She has since raced in graded stakes company 12 times and has placed in five - a third two starts back in the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes October 4, a second in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stake at Del Mar August 1 and a win six starts back in the Grade 3 Sixty Sails Handicap at Hawthorne being her best career results. She also posted a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Distaff Stakes at Pimlico May 15 and two straight wins - the $200,000 Treasure Chest Stakes at Delta Downs November 22 and a 3 1/2 length score as favorite in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Santa Anita October 29, 2014. Last time out was a sixth in the Breeders' Cup Distaff after hitting the board in her previous two efforts. She now has 31 career starts with six wins, five seconds and five third place finishes and hopes for a bounce back race Saturday. Mike Smith has the mount on tough-to-figure-out Yahilwa from post 5.

Tara's Tango - Jerry Hollendorfer trained filly has seven career starts with two wins and three runner-up finishes. She has failed to place in her last two starts however - a fourth last time out in the minor Kalookan Stakes here December 30 followed a tenth in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx September 19. Before that was an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Del Mar August 5 and three straight runner-up finishes - the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks June 20 at Santa Anita, as favorite in the minor Angels Flight Stakes May and in the minor Santa Paula Stakes April 5. Her other win was a maiden score in track record time over Del Mar synthetic Polytrack. Tara's Tango had been knocking on the door of her first stakes win before her last two efforts but will look to bounce back from the rail with Martin Garcia aboard.

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Illuminant - Michael McCarthy trained filly has two wins and two second place finishes in seven career starts. She enters off a close fourth in the Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes here January 3 which followed a two race win streak - an Allowance Optional Claiming November 27 at Del Mar and a maiden score on this track October 10. Before that was a second, a fourth and another second respectively in a trio of MSW races. Illuminant looks for her first stakes score Saturday in so-so form. Flavien Prat has been tabbed to ride form gate 2.

Honey Ride - has three wins, a second and two third place finishes in 13 career starts for trainer John Sadler. She looks for her first stakes score Sunday off an ugly twelfth in the Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes here December 27, a seventh in the minor Tranquility Stakes at Del Mar September 23, a fifth in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes in August and wins in two of three Allowance Optional Claiming in the spring. Honey Ride has failed to place in her last three starts overall and hopes to change that Saturday from gate 4 with Tyler Baze guiding her.

Oscar Party - finished seventh in this race in 2014 and hasn't looked great since. In fact, she's placed in just one of her last 11 starts overall. Oscar Party enters off a tenth place finish in the minor Miss America Stakes at Golden Gate December 13 after three straight sixth place finishes in stakes action - the minor Tranquility Stakes in September, the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap in August and the Grade 3 Adoration Stakes in June and another tenth in the Grade 3 Gallorette Handicap in May. She now has 30 career starts with just three wins, four seconds and four third place finishes and hopes for her first graded stakes score in her eleventh attempt - from post 3 with Santiago Gonzalez aboard.

2016 La Cañada Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 7 on Santa Anita's Saturday card with a Post Time of 6:30 PM.