Post-Race Review
Gotta Have Her broke slowly, but regained her stride to win the Las Cienegas Handicap (gr. III) by a nose, charging down the lane to just get up in time. Jockey Tyler Baze swept the weekend features with this victory, which paid $13.40 to win.
Reba Is Tops was second and favored Tuscan Evening (IRE), who set the early pace, finished third. Jenine Sahadi trains Gotta Have Her, a five-year-old mare by Royal Academy whose record increases to six wins in eighteen starts, including three starts down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course.
Pre-Race Analysis
Santa Anita’s Easter Sunday feature is the 6 1/2 furlong Las Cienegas Handicap (gr. III), a downhill turf race for older fillies and mares. Nine horses are entered to run including CASE choice Gorgeous Goose, who has a 100.00 rating. Coming off of an optional claiming victory on March 8th over the same distance and course, Gorgeous Goose will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano, who rode Papa Clem to win the Arkansas Derby (gr. II) on Saturday. Gorgeous Goose, a Mongoose filly, has three wins in twelve lifetime starts for trainer Mike Puype.
All eyes will be on Tuscan Evening (IRE), as the Oasis Dream filly will attempt to stay undefeated in America. After eleven starts in Europe, Tuscan Evening was shipped to California and entered the barn of Jerry Hollendorfer. On January 22nd, Tuscan Evening won a maiden race by five lengths, then took an allowance by 3 3/4, both over the same distance down the hill. Garrett Gomez, who piloted the filly in both American starts, will be back aboard.
Dawn After Dawn has won two straight stakes races and is undefeated on the turf at Santa Anita. With over half a million in earnings, Dawn After Dawn is the richest horse in the field. John Sadler trains and Joel Rosario will ride the Successful Appeal mare, who has a CASE rating of 98.65 and six lifetime wins.
Bel Air Sizzle should never be overlooked, and is coming off a narrow loss by a head in the Santa Ana Handicap (gr. II) on March 22nd. That race was at 1 1/8 miles, but just seven days prior, Bel Air Sizzle finished third by a nose and a neck in the Irish O Brien down the hillside turf course. With five wins and over $450,000 in earnings, Bel Air Sizzle is the second richest mare in the field. Barry Abrams trains the daughter of Unusual Heat, and Corey Nakatani picks up the mount as Rafael Bejarano and Garrett Gomez are otherwise occupied.
Reba Is Tops has won eight of fourteen starts, but most of those wins came on dirt rather than on the turf. On March 6th, Reba Is Tops was second by a length and a half to Gotta Have Her, who breaks from post position seven in the Las Cienegas. Gotta Have Her is a five-year-old trained by Jenine Sahadi and should be sitting right off the early pace in the race.
Trouble Maker, Macadamia, and Star of Whitney complete the line up.
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Emily Shields is a regular contributor to Case the Race. She has written for California Thoroughbred, Churchill Downs media, and international racing magazines.
