Undefeated in two starts in 2023, Elm Drive will return to the scene of her blowout debut win when she takes on eight other fillies in the $200,000-guaranteed Great Lady M. Stakes Tuesday at Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif.
A Grade 2 at 6 ½ furlongs, the Great Lady M. is the final of nine races on the special Fourth of July program at the Orange County track. Post time is 1 p.m. PT and scheduled post time for the main event is 5:05 p.m.
Owned by Little Red Feather Racing and trained by Phil D'Amato, Elm Drive, a daughter of Mohaymen and the Indian Charlie mare Lets Dance Charlie has begun her 4-year-old campaign with victories in the Grade 3 Monrovia – which was rained off the turf – April 8, then captured the Mizdirection – on grass – six weeks later.
Successful in half of her 10 starts with a bankroll of $408,140, Elm Drive cruised home by eight lengths at Los Alamitos on June 26, 2021, then returned last year to finish third in the Great Lady M.
Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who has won the Great Lady M. four times since 2015 – Fantastic Style (2015), Marley's Freedom (2018-2019) and Gamine (2021) – entered Eda for Baoma Corp.
A 4-year-old Munnings filly out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Show Me, Eda was successful in her return to the races April 26, defeating Teddy's Barino by a head as the 9-10 favorite in a $78,316 allowance at Santa Anita.
The win after a layoff of more than 13 months was her sixth in eight starts and pushed her bankroll to $472,600. She's 1-for-1 locally, having captured the Grade 1 Starlet in 2021.orp
Trainer Steve Miyadi and owner-breeder Nick Alexander, who won this race in 2022 with Becca Taylor, will try to go back-to-back with Rose Maddox.
A 4-year-old gray daughter of Grazen and the Unusual Heat mare Heat the Rocks, Rose Maddox has won five of 15 and earned $327,782. Worse than third only twice, she was most recently second in the Fran's Valentine at one mile on turf, defeated by a half-length by Eddie's New Dream.
Trainer Doug O'Neill is scheduled to have two starters – Awake At Midnyte and Vegas Magic.
Owned by J. Paul Reddam's Reddam Racing LLC, Awake At Midnyte, a 4-year-old Nyquist filly out of the Union Rags mare Midnight Union, was fourth as the favorite in the Monrovia, defeated by two lengths by Elm Drive.
A $320,000 purchase as a 2-year-old, Awake At Midnyte has won twice in 13 starts and banked $382,175.
A 3-year-old daughter of Good Magic and the Rockport Harbor mare Heidi Maria, Vegas Magic hasn't raced since finishing 10th of 13 in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last Nov. 4 at Keeneland.
Owned by a partnership that includes Omar Aldabbagh, Todd Cady and Ty Leatherman, Vegas Magic went 3-for-5 last year – topped by a 14-1 upset in the Grade 2 Sorrento last Aug. 13 at Del Mar – and earned $243,200.
Both Awake At Midnyte and Vegas Magic will be making their Los Alamitos debut.
Dance to the Music will be seeking her second consecutive graded stakes win for Red Baron's Barn LLC and Rancho Temescal and trainer Mark Glatt as she makes her initial start at Los Alamitos.
A 4-year-old Maclean's Music filly out of the Congrats mare Beautified has been idle since winning the Grade 3 Desert Stormer March 25. The win as the 6-5 choice was the third in nine starts for Dance to the Music, who has earned $229,080.
Chismosa will be cutting back in distance after finishing third in the Melair May 28, a race prohibitive favorite Ceiling Crusher won by 17 lengths.
Owned by breeder Jaime Renella and trained by Rafael DeLeon, the 3-year-old Clubhouse Ride filly out of the Cal Dreams mare You Can Dream is seeking her first win of 2023 after going 3-for-3 last year. Two of her victories came in the CTBA and Generous Portion – stakes restricted to California bred s – at Del Mar. She's earned $209,000.
After cashing at 5-1 in a starter allowance sprint on turf June 2, Real Fire will make her first start at Los Alamitos for owner Les Blake and trainer Steve Knapp.
The 4-year-old daughter of Street Boss and the Stroll mare Hinder is 3-for-12 with earnings of $118,060. In two earlier tries on dirt, Real Fire finished third and second in consecutive maiden races last year.
Pammy's Ready, who has made 15 of her 16 starts on turf, will compete for the first time since finishing sixth of seven in an optional claimer down the hillside layout at Santa Anita April 22.
Owned by breeder Rockingham Ranch and now trained by Librado Barocio, the 4-year-old daughter of More Than Ready has won twice and banked $207,700. Her only start on the main track was a runner-up finish in a maiden race at one mile over a sloppy surface Dec. 27, 2021.
From inside out, the Great Lady M. field: Elm Drive, Ramon Vazquez rides, 124 pounds; Eda, Juan Hernandez, 124; Rose Maddox, Hector Berrios, 119; Real Fire, Abel Cedillo, 119; Pammy's Ready, Kyle Frey, 119; Chismosa, Tiago Pereira, 114; Awake At Midnyte, Mario Gutierrez, 119; Vegas Magic, Antonio Fresu, 114 and Dance to the Music, Edwin Maldonado, 124.
The post Elm Drive, Eda Among Nine Contesting Holiday Renewal Of Great Lady M. At Los Alamitos appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
