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Post-Race Review Life is Sweet gave her connections and backers alike a scare in the $200,000 La Cañada Stakes (gr. II), sitting back last in a field of nine behind slow fractions, then rallying strongly in the stretch to get up and win under jockey Garrett Gomez. The four-year-old daughter of Storm Cat earned the victory by 3/4 of a length over Magical Fantasy and the gritty Bsharpsonata, who led throughout the race until the final strides. Modification finished fourth, and only a length separated the top four runners.
Life is Sweet completed the 1 1/8 mile race in 1:49.70 for trainer John Shirreffs and owners Pam and Martin Wygod. Life is Sweet paid $4.40 to win, topping a $10.80 exacta.
Pre-Race Analysis A day after Saturday’s featured race, fillies again headline Santa Anita’s racecard in Sunday’s 1 1/18 mile La Cañada Stakes (gr. II). Restricted to four-year-olds, the race carries a purse of $200,000, which drew nine contestants. The La Cañada is the final leg in a three-race series for fillies born in 2005. Life is Sweet won the second leg, the El Encino Stakes (gr. II), on January 18th. A full sister to champion Sweet Catomine, Life is Sweet is trained by John Shirreffs and will be ridden by Garrett Gomez. Life is Sweet drew off to win by 2 1/2 lengths in the El Encino, which earned an 88 for Stride Quality.
Bsharpsonata was scratched out of Saturday’s Santa Maria Handicap (gr. I) to run in this spot against less proven competition. The Pulpit filly finished third in the La Brea Stakes (gr. I) on December 27th, and has won seven of fourteen starts.
Magical Fantasy will be well supported from the barn of Patrick Gallagher. The filly will make her 2009 debut after running against some of the very best of 2008. Magical Fantasy won the Del Mar Oaks (gr. I) last summer, then finished fourth in the Matriarch (gr. I) on Thanksgiving weekend. The Diesis filly worked a bullet over the All Weather surface on February 9th.
Team Valor will walk over with Miss Singhsix (IRE), a Singspiel filly who was third in the El Encino, beaten about five lengths. In December, Miss Singhsix won an allowance optional claimer at Hollywood Park with a 94 for Endurance, and received a very high 103 for that same category when fourth on November 15th. Joel Roasrio will ride.
When the odds are long and the CASE numbers are high, a good handicapper will pay attention. Taste’s Sis (30 – 1 morning line) and Spring Style (IRE) (15 – 1) both sport some excellent CASE ratings. Taste’s Sis finished fourth last out on January 24th in an allowance race, but earned a 108 for Aerobic Efficiency and a 95 for Stride Quality. One start before that, when winning a maiden race at Santa Anita, Taste’s Sis earned a 101 for Stride Quality with an average of 92. Spring Style won on November 20th with an Endurance rating of 103, then came back on December 31st to score a 99 for Aerobic Efficiency, a 102 for Endurance, with a 92 average while running second in an allowance race. -------
Emily Shields s a regular contributor to Case the Race. She has written for California Thoroughbred, Churchill Downs media, and international racing magazines.
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