2017 La Brea Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The G1 La Brea Stakes will be run this Tuesday, December 26 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A purse of $300,000 will be on the line for three-year-old follies willing to race seven furlongs on Santa Anita's dirt track.

A field of eight have been confirmed for the La Brea Stakes - race 7 on Santa Anita's busy opening-day Tuesday card. Post time is 3:00 PM. Here is a peek into the past performance of all eight combatants for this intriguing G1 stakes.

2017 La Brea Stakes Entries at Santa Anita Park

Unique Bella

Has seven career starts for Jerry Hollendorfer with five wins and a second-place finish. She arrives off a career-worst effort - a seventh as favorite in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint November 4 which followed a terrific five-race win streak by a combined 32 1/4 lengths - the G3 LA Woman by 3 1/2 lengths October 8, the G3 Santa Ysabel Stakes March 4, the G2 Las Virgenes Stakes February 5, by 7 1/2 lengths in the G2 Santa Ynez Stakes January 8 (all at Santa Anita), an impressive 10 1/4 length maiden score at 6 1/2 furlongs on this track November 26 and a second as 1-5 favorite in her debut in June. Unique Bella was untouchable the last year before last time out and hopes to prove her BC result was the exception, not the rule. Mike Smith has the mount from post 3.

Paradise Woods

Has seven starts for trainer Richard Mandella with three wins, a second and a third-place finish. She was last seen posting a very respectable third in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar November 3 after a nice 5 1/4 gate-to-wire win in the G1 Zenyatta Stakes here September 30, a sixth in the G3 Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar August 27, a disappointing eleventh after fading as favorite in the G1 Kentucky Oaks May 5, a terrific record-breaking, gate-to-wire 11 3/4 length win over Abel Tasman among others in the G1 Santa Anita Oaks April 8 (she posted an incredible 110 Beyer Speed Figure in that race) and a maiden score on that track March 11. Paradise Woods was very good in her first three starts, struggled in her next two and has been good in her last two starts again. She shoots for a third G1 victory Tuesday with Flavien Prat in the reins from post 7.

Miss Sunset

Jeff Bonde trained filly has placed in nine of her 11 career starts - seven wins, a second and a third-place finish. She arrives on a good three-race win streak - in her graded stakes debut - as favorite in the G2 Raven Run Stakes last time out at Keeneland October 21, the minor C.E.R.F. Stakes September 4 and the minor Fleet Treat Stakes July 30 - the last two at Del Mar. Before that was a second in the minor Melair Stakes at Santa Anita May 29 and another good win in the minor Campanile Stakes at Golden Gate in April. Miss Sunset has five stakes wins already and hopes to build on an impressive streak Tuesday from the rail with Julien Leparoux aboard.

Faypien

Has six career starts for trainer Bob Baffert with three wins, two seconds and a third-place finish. She arrives on the heels of consecutive runner-up finishes - the minor Beverly J. Lewis Stakes at Los Alamitos September 9 and the G1 Test Stakes at Saratoga August 5. Before that was a terrific three race win streak - the G2 Summertime Oaks June 17, the listed Angels Flight Stakes May 14 and a 4 1/4 length maiden score April 23 - all on this track. She also had an OK third in her debut March 11. Faypien has been as competitive as they come and has been especially good on this track. She chases a second graded stakes score and hopes to end a two-race losing streak Tuesday from post 5 with Drayden Van Dyke in the irons.

Princess Karen

Jeff Bonde trained filly has three wins and a second-place finish in her eight career starts. She arrives off a fifth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar November 4, a decent second in the G3 LA Woman Stakes at Santa Anita October 8, a win with a respectable 97 BRIS Speed Figure in the minor Beverly J. Lewis Stakes at Los Alamitos September 9 and off-the board finishes in her previous two stakes starts including a seventh in the G1 Santa Anita Oaks April 8. Princess Karen has been OK in her career and shoots for a first graded stakes score in her fifth try. Kent Desormeaux will be in the saddle from the outside gate 8.

Mopotism

Doug O'Neill trained filly has 13 career starts with two wins, four runner-ups and one third-place finish to show for it. She broke maiden by 4 1/4 lengths at here last December 30 and has been up and down in seven starts since - a fifth last time out on the biggest stage in the Breeders' Cup Distaff followed a fourth in the G1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx September 23, a seventh in the G1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga August 19, a second in the G3 Indiana Oaks July 15, another second in the G2 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita June 17, a disappointing tenth in the G1 Kentucky Oaks May 5 and a fourth in the G1 Santa Anita Oaks April 8. Before that was a nice three-quarter length gate-to-wire win in the minor Island Fashion Stakes at Sunland Park February 26 and a decent second behind Unique Bella in the G2 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita February 5. Mopotism has OK in her career but has failed to hit the board in her last three starts overall. She tries to snap a seven-race losing streak Tuesday from gate 4 with Mario Gutierrez guiding her.

Just a Little Hope

Dan Hendricks trained filly has placed in five of six career starts - two wins, two seconds and a third-place finish. She steps into stakes company for the first time Tuesday off a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming here October 19, an Allowance Optional Claiming score here October 1 and a fourth in a similar race at Del Mar August 8. Just a Little Hope has been competitive so far and hopes to be again in her major step up in competition. Gary Stevens gets the call from gate 6.

Marley's Freedom

Has five career starts for trainer Robert Hess Jr. with two wins and a second-place finish. She makes her stakes debut Tuesday off a 4 1/4 length Allowance Optional Claiming score at Del Mar November 19, a second in a similar race on this track October 29 and a maiden score at Del Mar September 4. Marley's Freedom has been good against lesser company and hopes it translates in her step up Tuesday. Javier Castellano has been tabbed to rode from gate 2.

2017 La Brea Stakes Odds & Entries

Race 7 on Santa Anita's Tuesday card with a Post Time of 6:15 PM

Entry	Horse	ML Odds	Jockey	Trainer
1	Miss Sunset	5-1	Julien Leparoux	Jeff Bonde
2	Marley's Freedom	20-1	Javier Castellano	Robert Hess, Jr.
3	Unique Bella	9-5	Mike Smith	Jerry Hollendorfer
4	Mopotism	12-1	Mario Gutierrez	Doug O'Neill
5	Faypien	6-1	Drayden Van Dyke	Bob Baffert
6	Just a Little Hope	12-1	Gary Stevens	Dan Hendricks
7	Paradise Woods	8-5	Flavien Prat	Richard Mandella
8	Princess Karen	12-1	Kent Desormeaux	Jeff Bonde

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