Santa Anita: Undefeated Iscreamuscream faces older competition
Sophomore Iscreamuscream, 4-for-4 with a Grade 1 win for trainer Phil D’Amato, will put her perfect record on the line when she faces older horses for the first time in Saturday’s, $200,000 Grade 3 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita.
The 1 1/4-mile Rodeo Drive on turf for fillies and mares is a win-and-you’re -in for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 2.
Iscreamuscream most recently won the Del Mar Oaks (G3) going 1 1/8 miles on turf Aug. 17. Previously, she won the San Clemente (G2) in her stakes debut going a mile at Del Mar July 20. Both wins came under Hector Berrios, who will again be in the saddle Saturday.
By Twirling Candy, Iscreamuscream won her debut last October at Santa Anita, then returned in June at Santa Anita to win a six-furlong allowance on turf prior to her pair of graded-stakes wins.
D’Amato also entered older stakes winners Hang the Moon and Lucky Girl, who most recently finished 1-2 in the John C. Mabee (G2) on Sept. 7 at Del Mar.
In the 1 1/8-mile Mabee, Hang the Moon edged Lucky Girl by a half-length under Kazushi Kimura. It was her first stakes win and upped her record to 11: 4-1-1 with $307,913 in earnings.
A 4-year-old Uncle Mo filly, Hang the Moon made her first eight starts outside of California while trained by Michael Stidham. She had her local unveiling in June when winning a second-level allowance going a mile on turf at Santa Anita. Kimura, who rode Hang the Moon for the first time in the Mabee, has the call again on Saturday.
Lucky Girl swung six wide into the stretch in the Mabee and rallied to be a good second ahead of race favorite and Grade 1 winner Anisette, who was third. The 5-year-old mare by Exceed and Excel has a record of 20: 3-1-1 with $264,863 in earnings. She won the 2022 China Doll Stakes at Santa Anita as a 3-year-old while trained by Richard Baltas, then won her only other stakes last year in the Swingtime at Santa Anita while trained by George Papaprodomou.
There are also a trio of eastern invaders in the lineup, Aspen Grove for trainer Jack Sisterson, Beach Bomb for trainer Graham Motion and Be Your Best for trainer Horacio De Paz.
Aspen Grove exits a second-level allowance win going 1 3/8 miles at Saratoga on Aug. 8. Previously, the 4-year-old filly by Justify was seventh in the New York (G1) at Saratoga in June, third in the Modesty (G3) at Churchill Downs in May and second in the Hillsborough (G2) at Tampa Bay Downs in March.
Aspen Grove has a record of 13: 3-1-2 with $482,403 in earnings. She made her first six starts in her native Ireland before coming to the U.S. in the middle of last year. Aspen Grove will be ridden by Juan Hernandez for the first time.
Beach Bomb was bred in South Africa, where she was a Group 1 winner before coming to the U.S. earlier this year. A 4-year-old filly by the War Front stallion Lancaster Bomber, Beach Bomb made one start in the U.S. on Aug. 31, she finished second in the Violet Stakes going 1 1/16 miles on turf at Monmouth Park.
Be Your Best seeks her first stakes win since the listed P.G. Johnson Stakes as a 2-year-old at Saratoga in 2022. Most recently, she finished third in 1 3/8-mile turf allowance at Saratoga. The 4-year-old filly by Muhaarar is 14: 2-3-2 with $372,859 in earnings.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Lucky Girl Exceed And Excel |
6.23 | Entered | |||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 2 |
|
Sunset Glory Cotai Glory |
0.00 |
1st, CTT and TOC S. |
Entered | |
|
Last Race Next Race |
1st, CTT and TOC S. |
|||||
| 3 |
|
Be Your Best Muhaarar |
6.05 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 4 |
|
Iscreamuscream Twirling Candy |
7.55 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 5 |
|
Beach Bomb Lancaster Bomber |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Next Race |
||||||
| 6 |
|
Hang The Moon Uncle Mo |
6.34 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 7 |
|
Aspen Grove Justify |
6.48 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
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