CHAMPAGNE ROOM, IT TIZ WELL AMONG 17 NOMINATED TO GRADE II, $200,000 BAYAKOA STAKES

By Robert Mieszerski —-

CYPRESS, Calif. — Champagne Room, the 2-year-old filly champion of 2016, It Tiz Well, winner of the Grade I Cotillion Sept. 23 at Parx, and Faypien, winner of the Grade II Summertime Oaks June 17 at Santa Anita, are among 17 fillies and mares nominated to the $200,000-guaranteed Bayakoa Stakes.

A Grade II scheduled for 1 1/16 miles, the Bayakoa will be run Sunday, Dec. 3.

It will be the second time the race is run at Los Alamitos. It was won by the Bob Baffert-trained Tiz Midnight during the inaugural Winter Meet in 2014. After being on hiatus in 2015, the Bayakoa, named for the multiple-graded stakes winning mare owned by Frank and Janis Whitham and trained by Hall of Famer Ron McAnally, was won by Vale Dori, also trained by Baffert, a year ago at Del Mar.

Owned by a partnership that includes Ciaglia Racing LLC, Exline-Border Racing LLC and Gulliver Racing LLC and trained by Peter Eurton, Champagne Room has won three of eight and banked $1,450,600. She clinched her Eclipse Award with a 33-1 upset in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 5, 2016 at Santa Anita. In two starts this year, the daughter of Broken Vow and the Bernstein mare Lucky to Be Me won the Remington Park Oaks Sept. 24 in Oklahoma before finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff Nov. 3 at Del Mar.

A daughter of Arch and the Tiznow mare It Tiz owned by Tom and Debi Stull’s Tommy Town Thoroughbreds and trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, It Tiz Well defeated probable 3-year-old filly champion Abel Tasman by two lengths in the Cotillion for her fifth win in 10 lifetime starts. The $230,000 yearling purchase, who has earned $1,130,840, broke her maiden by 10 lengths at Los Alamitos in her second race Dec. 18, 2016.

Faypien, a 3-year-old Ghostzapper filly owned by Baoma Corporation and trained by Baffert, hasn’t been out since finishing second as the 3-5 favorite in the Beverly J. Lewis Stakes Sept. 9. The Florida-bred has won three of six and earned $319,930.

The other nominees include Belvoir Bay, Bernina Star, Constellation, who was second behind Skye Diamonds in the Grade II Great Lady M. Stakes July 8 in her only previous appearance at Los Alamitos, Cuddle Alert, Girl Downstairs, a $40,000 claim by Eurton Nov. 2, Madame Stripes, Majestic Heat, an impressive winner of the Betty Grable Stakes Nov. 12 in her first start on dirt, Malibu Stacy, Mrs McDougal, Pacific Wind, who is also trained by Eurton, Plastered, Resky Business, Shenandoah Queen and Street Surrender.

Entries for the Bayakoa will be taken Thursday, Nov. 30.