2016 Royal Heroine Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The Grade 1 Royal Heroine Stakes is on tap for this Thursday, May 5 from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Fillies and mares four years old and upward will be featured when they take to Santa Anita's turf track and race one mile for a purse of $200,000.

A wide open field of 14 older females will give it a go in the Royal Heroine Stakes - race 8 on Santa Anita's Opening Day Thursday card. Post time is 5:30 PM. Let's take a peek into the past performances of all 14 combatants for this Grade 2 stakes - the first stakes of Santa Anita's Spring Meet.

2016 Royal Heroine Stakes Race Preview at Santa Anita Park

Havanna Belle 5-1 - Phil D'Amato trained filly has four wins, a second and two third place finishes in 16 career starts and enters off an impressive 6 1/2 length Allowance Optional Claiming score here April 7. Before that was an ugly eighth in the Grade 2 San Luis Rey Stakes on this track March 13 and a career best effort - a 2 1/4 length win in the minor Astra Stakes on this track January 17. She failed to place in her previous three starts however including an eighth in the Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap November 21. Havanna Belle has been up and down but has won two of her last three starts overall. Flavien Prat has been tabbed with curing the inconsistencies of the tepid morning line favorite from gate 10 Thursday.

Her Emmynency 6-1 - has four wins and two second place finishes in nine career starts for trainer Kristin Mulhall and enters on the heels of two unflattering efforts - a fifth last time out as 4-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes here March 26 and a fourth as favorite in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes here February 20. Before that was a good win in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland October 10, a decent second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks August 15 and a career worst effort - a sixth place finish in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap July 19. She also finished second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante in August, 2014 and had two good wins early in her career including the Surfer Girl at Santa Anita. Her Emmynency has been a tad up and down in her career but has shown good form in the past. Tyler Baze gets the call on the co-second choice hoping to bounce back from a pair of ordinary efforts - from the rail.

Nancy From Nairobi 6-1 - John Sadler trained British bred mare has four wins and six second place finishes in 21 career starts. She started her career in Europe and was OK before debuting in North America with a second place finish in an Allowance Optional Claiming here December 30. She enters on a two race win streak - both Allowance Optional Claiming races on this track (the last coming March 4 over Glory) after a seventh in her only stakes action to date - the minor Astra Stakes here January 17. Nancy From Nairobi looks for her first stakes win and third straight overall in career best form. She has two wins and a second place finish at this distance on turf and will have Abel Lezcano in the reins of the co-morning line second choice in her step up in competition from post 3.

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Faufiler 6-1 - Graham Motion trained Irish bred mare has five wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in 12 career starts. She placed in a couple of Group 3 races in France last summer but didn't look great in her first two North American starts - eight place finishes in the Grade 3 Athenia Stakes at Belmont Park in October and a ninth in the Grade 3 Cardinal Handicap at Churchill Downs in November. Last time out was a bit of a breakthrough however - a win in the minor Sand Springs Stakes at Gulfstream February 27. Faufiler hopes for her first graded stakes score Thursday and her second straight stakes score overall when she departs from post 13 with Drayden Van Dyke in the reins of the co-second pick.

Fanticola 8-1 - defending champion in this race - Canadian bred Phil D'Amato trained mare raced in graded stakes company for the first time April 18 and finished a good second in the Grade 3 Santa Barbara Handicap and followed that with another runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes May 25. She went on to the Royal Heroine score and has been just OK since. Last time out was a third in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes at Santa Anita's main track April 10 after consecutive fourths - the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes here in September and the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar in August. Fanticola now has five wins, five seconds and seven third place finishes in 20 career starts (three wins, a second and a third place finish at one mile on turf!) and hopes to snap a three race losing streak with Joe Talamo in the reins from the unfortunate outside gate 14.

Elektrum 8-1 - Irish bred John Sadler trained filly won the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes four starts back - at Del Mar August 8 and went on to a second in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita September 26. Last time out was runner-up finish as 5-2 favorite in the Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap at Del Mar November 21 which followed a fourth as even money favorite in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes also at Del Mar November 1. Elektrum has four wins, six seconds and two third place finishes in 18 career starts and enters this race in decent form although she's posted just one win and a second at one mile on turf. Victor Espinoza gets the call on this intriguing 8-1 shot from gate 6.

Glory 8-1 - Jerry Hollendorfer trained filly has three wins, four seconds and two third place finishes in 12 career starts. She enters off consecutive seconds - the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes here March 26 and behind Nancy From Nairobi in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track March 4. Before that was a disappointing seventh in the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes here January 18, a third as favorite in the Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes on this track December 27 and a two race win streak - both Allowance Optional Claiming races in impressive fashion. Glory has been OK so far in her career but looks for her first stakes win Saturday and first ever win on turf. Mike Smith has the mount from post 11.

La Berma 10-1 - Irish bred James Cassidy trained filly makes her North American debut Saturday having posted two wins and four second place finishes in nine career starts. She was last seen running ninth in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de la Foret at Longchamp October 4 after a second in the Group 3 Prix du Pin in September, a fifth in the Group 3 Prix de Lieurey in August and another second in a Group 2 race last May. She looks for her first stakes win and her first victory overall in over a year Thursday when she leaves from post 5 with Rafael Bejarano aboard.

Prize Exhibit 12-1 - British bred James Cassidy trained filly finished fourth in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and has been up and down since. She posted two nice wins early last summer - the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes in June and the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes on this track in July. She went on to a respectable third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in August and a second in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Stakes in September. She hasn't looked great since however - a seventh in the Grade 1 QE II Challenge Cup at Keeneland October 10 was followed by a sixth in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar November 29, a nice win at 7-1 odds in the Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes here in January, a seventh in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes here January 23 and a sixth last time out in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes on this track February 20. Prize Exhibit has shown form in the past but has placed in just one of her last five starts overall. Santiago Gonzalez will be in charge of the tough-to-figure-out filly from gate 4.

Keri Belle 15-1 - John Shirreffs trained mare has 13 career starts with four wins, two seconds and two place finishes. She enters off a respectable third in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes here February 20 which followed a good win on this track in the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes at 12-1 odds January 18, a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Aqueduct November 26, an eleventh in the Grade 3 Athenia Stakes October 17, a sixth in an Allowance Optional Claiming in August and an Allowance Optional Claiming score in July. Keri Belle has been up and down but has placed in her last two graded stakes races ahead of this week. Alex Solis has the mount from post 7.

Living The Life 15-1 - Irish bred synthetic specialist filly has 31 career starts with nine wins (five stakes), five seconds and four third place finishes for trainer Gary Mandella and enters off consecutive third place finishes - the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes here March 19 and the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes on this track February 13. They followed a fourth in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes January 23, a disappointing sixth in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes at Del Mar November 1, a win in the Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters (a race she won in 2014 as well), a decent second in the Grade 2 Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos in July and off-the-board finishes in a pair of stakes races. She also finished last of ten in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Living the Life has been a tad difficult to figure out but has placed in four of her last six starts overall. Martin Garcia will be in the saddle from gate 8.

Smoove It< 15-1 - Doug O'Neill trained mare has five wins, five seconds and four third place finishes in 24 career starts. She looked good at this time last year when she posted three wins and two seconds in a stretch of five races including three Allowance Optional Claiming scores here and a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes on this track in April. She has struggled in her last six starts however - a fifth last time out in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes here April 10 followed a win in the minor Irish O'Brien Stakes on this track March 19, an eighth in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes in February, a fifth in the minor Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint here January 30, another fifth in the minor Solana Beach Handicap in August and a tenth in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes last May. Smoove It looks to snap an unflattering skid Thursday - from gate 2 with Fernando Hernandez Perez in the saddle.

Sharla Rae 15-1 - Doug O'Neill trained filly enters off two straight disappointing tenth place finishes - the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby last time out at Del Mar November 28 and the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf . Before that were a fifth in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita September 26 and a nice win in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in August. She also had a second in the Grade 2 Honeymoon Stakes and a third in the Grade 3 Bourbonette Stakes last March. Sharla Rae has five wins, a second and a third place finish in 16 career starts but has placed in just one of her last six starts overall - but that result was a good one. She hopes to snap a skid Thursday from post 9 with Tiago Josue Periera in the irons.

Fasnacloich 15-1 - posted consecutive Allowance scores in 2014 and went on to a respectable third in the Grade 3 Violet Stakes at Belmont Park in August. She has been up and down since - a nice win in the minor Justakiss Stakes at Delaware Park June 10 was a career best effort. Since then she's posted a fourth in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dicks Memorial Stakes in July, a sixth in the minor West Virginia Senate President's Cup in August, a fourth in the minor Lady Baltimore Stakes in September and a second last time out in an Allowance Optional Claiming - here April 7. Fasnacloich looks for her first graded stakes score but enters is so-so form. Brice Blanc rides from gate 12.

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2016 Royal Heroine Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 8 on Santa Anita's Thursday card with a Post Time of 8:30 PM.