Desert Dawn, who has won or placed in nine graded stakes in her 17-race career, will have six opponents in her return to Los Alamitos in the $100,000-guaranteed Bayakoa Stakes Friday.
A Grade 3 for fillies and mares (3-year-olds & up) at 1 1/16 miles, the Bayakoa will be run for the sixth time at Los Alamitos.
Post time Friday is 12:30 p.m. The Bayakoa is the last of eight races and has a scheduled post time of 3:58 p.m.
Trained by Phil D'Amato for breeders H and E Ranch Inc., Desert Dawn, a 4-year-old Cupid filly out of the Honour and Glory mare Ashley's Glory, will be getting some class relief in the Bayakoa.
An earner of $876,525, Desert Dawn was most recently fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 4, defeated by 1 ¼ lengths by winner Idiomatic.
The Arizona bred, who was fourth in the Grade I Starlet in 2021 in her only previous appearance at Los Alamitos, earned the biggest of her two wins in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks April 9, 2022, scoring a 14-1 upset when defeating multiple graded stakes winner Adare Manor by a neck.
D'Amato will also be represented by Turnerloose, who will switch to dirt after five consecutive starts on grass, the latest when fifth in the Kathryn Crosby last month at Del Mar.
Owned by a partnership that includes Abbondanza Racing LLC, Medallion Racing and Ike and Dawn Thrash, the 4-year-old Nyquist filly out of the A.P. Indy mare Goaltending has won three of 15 and banked $677,392. Her dirt victory came in the Grade II Rachel Alexandra Feb. 18, 2022 at the Fair Grounds when trained by Brad Cox.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has won the Bayakoa twice at Los Alamitos – Tiz Midnight in 2014 and As Time Goes By in 2021 – entered Ganadora and Midnight Memories.
Owned by Baoma Corp, Ganadora, a 4-year-old Quality Road filly out of the Ghostzapper mare Beloveda, is already a stakes winner at Los Alamitos. She won the ungraded Dark Mirage by eight lengths last year as the 4-5 favorite.
Ganadora is winless in seven subsequent races and returns to dirt after finishing sixth of nine in the Kathryn Crosby. She's won three of 11 and earned $220,600.
A daughter of Tiz Midnight and Mastery, the 4-year-old hasn't been out finishing third in the Grade I Beholder Mile March 11 at Santa Anita. She's won four of seven and earned $364,880 for owner-breeders Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman.
Like Ganadora, Violent Runner also owns a victory at Los Alamitos.
Owned by Les Blake and trained by Steve Knapp, the 5-year-old Violence mare won an optional claimer at 5 ½ furlongs during the 2022 September meet when trained by John Sadler.
Out of the City Zip mare Top Performance, Violent Runner is 6-for-12 with a bankroll of $209,920. The Bayakoa will mark her first outing beyond seven furlongs.
Knapp also entered Smoothlikebuttah, who is owned by Robert Bach and William Tessar. The 5-year-old daughter of Mr. Big out of the Five Star Day mare Eight Daughters have won three of 46 and banked $457,436. She has two wins and a third in four races at Los Alamitos.
In terms of local wins, Trouville is the most accomplished member of the Bayakoa field. The veteran mare has won twice here in 10 attempts and has hit the board on seven other occasions.
A 6-year-old Will Take Charge mare owned by Mark Banuelos and Mathilde Powell and trained by Leonard Powell, Trouville is 4-for-38. Out of the Bernardini mare Night Drive, she's earned $297,737.
From inside out, the field for the Bayakoa Stakes:
- Midnight Memories, Juan Hernandez rides, 121 pounds;
- Violent Runner, Mario Gutierrez, 119;
- Ganadora, Kyle Frey, 119;
- Smoothlikebuttah, Tiago Pereira, 119;
- Turnerloose, Edwin Maldonado, 121;
- Trouville, Diego Herrera, 119 and
- Desert Dawn, Hector Berrios, 121.
The post Los Alamitos: Desert Dawn Gets Class Relief In Friday’s Bayakoa appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
