Jack Shinar 9y

Maybellene heads Las Virgenes

Horse Racing

Her bid to upset champion Take Charge Brandi in the Starlet falling just short last time out, the Bob Baffert-trained Maybellene appears to be the one to beat in the $300,000 Las Virgenes Stakes Jan. 31 at Santa Anita Park.

Ten 3-year-old fillies -- all in search of a first graded stakes win -- are entered in the one-mile main track test scheduled for a 4 p.m. PST post time Saturday. Race 8 on the card, the Las Virgenes is the the last of three graded stakes on the program, following the Palos Verdes for sprinters and the Arcadia for turf milers.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's bulging barn is represented by half the field in the Las Virgenes, with stakes winners Light the City and Achiever's Legacy the most accomplished of the group.

Maybellene, off her game try in the Starlet Dec. 13 at Los Alamitos, rates a slight edge in pursuit of her first stakes win. She tracked Take Charge Brandi closely while racing between horses in the 1-1/16-mile battle, made a move in the stretch and was turned back late. She finished a solid third, three-quarters of a length behind the 2-year-old filly Eclipse Award winner.

Owned by Baffert's wife, Jill, the Kentucky-bred filly by Lookin At Lucky has been working handily at Santa Anita in January, most recently posting a five-furlong move in 1:01 2/5 Jan. 26. Both of Maybellene's victories from seven career starts have come at the one-mile distance, including an allowance/optional claiming win at Santa Anita in October.

Rafael Bejarano remains aboard the $140,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase who drew post 2.

Baffert, a three-time winner of the Las Virgenes, also has the most expensive filly in the field in the developing Callback, who tries two turns for the first time. Owner Spendthrift Farm went to $375,000 to acquire the daughter of Street Sense from the Paramount Sales consignment at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga select yearling sale.

Callback began the year Jan. 3 with a runner-up finish to Seduire in the 6-1/2-furlong Santa Ynez. She graduated in her second start with a gate-to-wire effort at 5-1/2 furlongs a month earlier at Los Alamitos. Martin Garcia has the return call from post 7. Callback races with blinkers off for the first time Saturday.

Light the City disappointed as the favorite for Hollendorfer in the Santa Ynez, finishing fifth, and she was third behind stablemate Achiever's Legacy and Maybellene as the 3-10 pick in the listed Desi Arnez Stakes over the Polytrack at Del Mar Nov. 16. Cheyenne Stables' Street Sense filly began her career with a pair of wins including the Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita in October. She, too, will be trying two turns for the first time and will have a new rider from post 10 in Kent Desormeaux.

Achiever's Legacy, who upset the Desi Arnez for her owner partnership at 9-1, comes off a fifth in the Starlet.

Another Hollendorfer entrant, Majestic Presence, was fourth in the Starlet. Also fourth in the Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita last fall at Santa Anita, Majestic Presence has finished behind Take Charge Brandi in her past three starts, including a ninth in the 14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies and a third the Delta Downs Princess.

The Hall of Fame trainer's quintent is completed by Fox Hill Farms' Glory, a $260,000 Tapit yearling coming off a sharp two-length maiden win going 6-1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course Jan. 10. She has the rail with Mike Smith aboard. Hollendorfer previously won the Las Virgenes in 2010 with eventual 3-year-old filly champion Blind Luck.

Trainer John Sadler will be represented by hard-knocking Suva Harbor, who pressed the pace and went on to a three-quarter length allowance win going a flat mile Jan. 4. Owned by Gary and Cecil Barber and Wachtel Stable, the gray filly by Rockport Harbor has never been worse than second in four starts and is in search of her third consecutive win.

Gary Barber's Miss Mandate, runner-up to Suva Harbor last time, and recent hillside turf maiden winner Mio Me complete the field.

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