LOS ALAMITOS: HOTITUDE TAKES ON MILLER DUO IN SOVIET PROBLEM STAKES

By Bob Mieszerski —-

CYPRESS, Calif. – Trainer Kristin Mulhall and jockey Martin Pedroza, who teamed to win the 2015 Soviet Problem Stakes with Roo’s Valentine, will try for another victory in the one-mile race Saturday at Los Alamitos.

Restricted to 2-year-old fillies bred or sired in California, the Soviet Problem is the fifth of 10 races. Post time Saturday is 12:30 p.m. Approximate post for the afternoon’s main event is 2:30 p.m.
There will be a 2019 full color wall calendar giveaway – one per paid admission while supplies last.

Bred by Mulhall for Twilight Racing LLC and Steve Taub, Hotitude comes off a third-place finish when 25-1 in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

A daughter of Heat Shield and the Pleasantly Perfect mare Lovefromafar, Hotitude is proven at Los Alamitos, having broken her maiden during the Los Angeles County Fair meet. She won by five lengths going six furlongs Sept. 13.

No worse than third in three starts, the bay filly has banked $58,000.

Trainer Peter Miller entered a pair – Creative Instinct and Kookie Gal – in the Soviet Problem.
A gray daughter of Creative Cause and the Swiss Yodeler mare Teacher Teacher, Creative Instinct returns to dirt after finishing eighth of 12 in the Grade III Jimmy Durante on turf Nov 24.

Owned by Gary Barber, Creative Instinct has won two of four and earned $105,345. She began her career with consecutive victories at Del Mar, including a score as the 2-5 favorite in the Generous Portion Stakes Aug. 29.

Owned by breeders Barber and Wachtel Stable, Kookie Gal will be making her first start on dirt.
The Boisterous filly out of the Comic Strip mare Kukaluka finished fifth in the Durante after a first out score as the favorite going a mile on turf Oct. 18 at Santa Anita. She has earned $32,000.

All Tea All Shade stretches out for owner-breeder Schroeder Farms LLC in search of her third consecutive victory.

The Merit Man filly out of the Whywhywhy mare Why So Serious defeated $50,000 maidens by a nose Oct. 12 before returning with a 13-1 upset against optional claimers three weeks later.

Trained by Bob Hess, Jr., All Tea All Shade has banked $44,640.

Eased at the Soviet Problem distance Nov. 30, Time for Suzzie returns to a venue where she is 2-for-2 for Templeton Horses LLC and breeder Terry Lovingier.

Trained by Jorge Periban, the Time to Get Even filly graduated against $50,000 state bred maidens in her Los Alamitos debut June 29, then scored via disqualification in a starter allowance contest Sept. 15 during the LACF season.

Out of the Successful Appeal mare Appealing Susan, Time for Suzzie has earned $53,635 in nine starts.
A maiden after six outings for Irvin Racing Stable and trainer Carla Gaines, Gotta Be Lucky switches to dirt after consecutive races on turf. The daughter of Lucky Pulpit and the Street Sense mare Pogonip has earnings of $29,905.

From inside out, the field for the 7th Soviet Problem Stakes: Hotitude, Martin Pedroza rides, 117 pounds; Gotta Be Lucky, Geovanni Franco, 117; Kookie Gal, Flavien Prat, 117; Creative Instinct, Tyler Baze, 119; Time for Suzzie, Eswan Flores, 117 and All Tea All Shade, Evin Roman, 117.