STREAKING GOODYEARFORROSES HEADS SUNDAY’S GRADE II, $200,000 SANTA ANA STAKES

By Mike Willman —-

STREAKING GOODYEARFORROSES HEADS SUNDAY’S GRADE II, $200,000 SANTA ANA STAKES AT 1 1/8 MILES ON TURF; TRAINED BY BALTAS, SHE BIDS FOR HER THIRD CONSECUTIVE WIN WITH NAKATANI UP

ARCADIA, Calif. —Seemingly invigorated since changing her base of operations from Toronto, Canada to the Richard Baltas barn at Santa Anita, Irish-bred Goodyearforroses will bid for her third Winter Meet win in a row in Sunday’s Grade II, $200,000 Santa Ana Stakes for older fillies and mares at a mile and one eighth on turf.

Several distaffers rate competitive chances in the eight-horse Santa Ana, including trainer Paulo Lobo’s Pretty Girl, who was second to “Goodyear” two starts back in the Robert J. Frankel Stakes on Dec. 31, a race that was shifted to a “sloppy” main track and thus lost its Grade III status.

GOODYEARFORROSES: Sold privately following a close third place finish in the Grade III Maple Leaf Stakes at Woodbine on Nov. 5, she seemed to relish the sloppy conditions in the Frankel and rallied strongly from off the pace to win the mile and one half turf Astra II Stakes here on Feb. 2The triumvirate of Goodyearforroses, Corey Nakatani and Baltas will be bidding for their third win in a row as the 5-year-old mare attempts her first graded stakes win.Owned by Abbondanza Racing, she has six wins from 14 starts and has earnings of $245,995.

PRETTY GIRL: A Group I & III winner in her native Argentina, this classy 6-year-old mare made her U.S. debut in the prestigious Grade I Beverly D Stakes on Aug. 13 at Arlington Park, rallying from far back to finish a respectable seventh and was idle until running second in the Dec. 31 Frankel, her first start for Lobo.Although far back early in the Beverly D, she pressed the early Frankel pace but was no match for Goodyearforroses late.With Victor Espinoza engaged to ride for the first time, chances are Pretty Girl will approach the Santa Ana with a “wait and see” approach at a mile and one eighth.Owned by Stud RDI, LLC and Bonne Chance Farm, LLC, Pretty Girl is 8-4-1-1, with all of her wins coming on turf.

THE GRADE II SANTA ANA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

1. Pretty Girl—Victor Espinoza—120
2. Do the Dance—Tyler Baze—120
3. Goodyearforroses—Corey Nakatani—120
4. Sheeza Milky Way—Jamie Theriot—120
5. Sweet Charity—Flavien Prat—120
6. Kenriya—Rafael Bejarano—120
7. Evo Campo—Brice Blanc—120
8. Responsibleforlove—Norberto Arroyo, Jr.—120

Be sure to tune into XBTV on Sunday atwww.xbtv.com/video-on-demand/workouts/. from any mobile device or computer. The XBTV team will feature live, on-site coverage throughout the race day, as well as providing Gulfstream Park bonus coverage as well.
Fans can watch video of prominent in-day workers atwww.xbtv.com/video-on-demand/workouts/.
First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m.Admission gates open at 10:30 a.m.For scratches, changes and complete morning line information, please visit santaanita.com/horse-racing/live-racing/.

About Us
Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.