Once-beaten Stays in Vegas takes on Pretty N Cool in Starlet
December 9th, 2015
The 1 1/16-mile contest drew a field of nine and will award points on a 10-4-2-1 basis to the respective top-four finishers.
Highlighting the contest are both Stays in Vegas, who has suffered just one loss to date, and Pretty N Cool, the only runner in the Starlet with a graded score.
Stays in Vegas sandwiched a fifth-placing behind presumptive two-year-old filly champion Songbird in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) between romping stakes scores. The Jerry Hollendorfer trainee broke her maiden first out in the Juan Gonzalez Memorial S. and next added the Wine County Debutante S. to her resume.
After being no match for Songbird, Stays in Vegas returned to take the Surfer Girl S. at Santa Anita Park and Pike Place Dancer S. at Golden Gate Fields, both on the grass. The chestnut lass has competed at five different tracks from as many career starts thus far, and will make it six-for-six in the Starlet at Los Alamitos.
Alex Solis was aboard for Stays in Vegas’ last two wins and retains the mount on Saturday.
Pretty N Cool also suffered her first loss in the Del Mar Debutante, finishing second behind Songbird. The gray miss captured Del Mar’s Sorrento S. (G2) prior to that effort and returned afterward with a wire victory in the Matron S. (G2) at Belmont Park.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Pretty N Cool faded to fifth in the Desi Arnaz S. in her most recent race under regular jockey Martin Garcia, who has the return call, and seeks a first Grade 1 score to add to her resume.
Treasuring and Street Fancy took on the Desi Arnaz following maiden wins, with the former running second while just a nose in front of Street Fancy. Victor Espinoza and Mike Smith were the respective riders for that race and will be back in the saddle as their fillies try graded competition for the first time.
Pacific Heat will be stretching out to 8 1/2 furlongs after romping in her prior two races. The Peter Eurton pupil took her maiden debut at Los Alamitos by 13 lengths while going 5 1/2 furlongs and posted a 5 1/4-length victory last out at Del Mar in the seven-furlong Golden State Juvenile Fillies S. She’ll keep Joe Talamo in the saddle while trying for a perfect three-for-three mark.
Completing the Starlet field are stakes winners Patriotic Diamond and Surfside Tiara, maiden debut romper Mama’s Sugar, and last-out Jimmy Durante S. (G3) third Sutton’s Smile.
One race before the Starlet, an overflow field of 11 California-bred colts and geldings will line up in the $100,000 King Glorious S. at a mile on the main track.
Stays in Vegas photo courtesy of Shane Micheli/Vassar Photography
Pretty N Cool photo courtesy of NYRA/Joe Labozzetta/Adam Coglianese Photography
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