How to bet the Las Cienegas Stakes

A nice cast of 10 fillies and mares will jaunt about 6 1/2 furlongs down the hill in Sunday’s $100,000 Las Cienegas S. (G3) at Santa Anita. Group 3 heroine #10 Laulne gets a nice post draw for her first run since the spring and I expect her to be ready for conditioner Phil D’Amato. 

Las Cienegas Wagers

• $1 superfecta 10 with 3,9 with 3,4,9 with all ($28)
• $1 superfecta 3,9 with 10 with 3,4,9 with all ($28)

By Starspangledbanner, the filly attracted a bid of $793,000 in her two-year-old campaign and made her first run on U. S. ground in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Fillies Turf (G1) where she finished off the board. This French-bred bay made her first appearance as a sophomore in the Angels Flight S. on the course and at the trip in April, and the import got up by a nose under the wire. She was last seen finishing a solid third in the Senorita S. (G3) on May 5. 

Laulne has posted nine well-spaced morning drills in advance of her return for a very good layoff trainer. She possesses the early foot to stay in range early prior to being given her cue in the stretch, and the top pick retains regular pilot Antonio Fresu, as well. 

Graham Motion’s #3 Toupie led throughout in a fine tally in the Unzip Me. S. on the surface in September and looms large with her best performance. The Uncle Mo four-year-old elevated her game in 2023 when focusing on turf dashes and she comes in fresh for a fine layoff outfit. The dark bay will be forwardly placed from the break with Flavien Prat signed on. 

#9 Miss Lizzy might fly under the radar in the well-matched field for trainer Doug O’Neill. The Classic Empire five-year-old bagged the Mizdirection S. the last time she ran down the hill in May, and she will retreat in distance today following a pair of route tries as of late. The mare sports a 5-2-2-1 mark at the unique distance and will be doing her best work in the lane beneath Frankie Dettori. 

O’Neill’s #4 Ma Rae’s Girl gave a nice account of herself when a clear second in a dash on the Del Mar lawn in her lone prior race on the weeds. This Mendelssohn chestnut comes off a solid dirt run at Los Alamitos and could peak in her third appearance since April with Kazushi Kimura taking the reins.