Lady Ninja Joins Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint

After edging the speedy Selcourt in the L.A. Woman Stakes (G3) Oct. 5, Lady Ninja will be given an upset opportunity at Santa Anita Park in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), trainer Richard Baltas said Oct. 12.

The Nov. 2 Filly & Mare Sprint will be the first grade 1 start for Lady Ninja, a 5-year-old daughter of Majesticperfection who has enjoyed a breakout year. The mare captured a pair of allowance races and a $40,000 claiming race Feb. 22. She was also third in the Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3) at Del Mar Aug. 11 after a sluggish start.

"She'll be a longshot and it looks like a tough race, but she's on her home track where she's won five races," Baltas told Santa Anita publicity.

The L.A. Woman was not a designated Breeders' Cup Challenge race, leaving $30,000 in entry and starting fees to participate. But Lady Ninja has paid her way many times over since being claimed by her owners—Harry Bederian, Harout Kamberian, Hagop Nakkashian, and Baltas—for $32,000 at Del Mar Sept. 1, 2018. She has made $215,340 in 10 starts for them—$193,440 this year.

Baltas said Lady Ninja will be the third claimed horse he has raced in the Breeders' Cup. Freedom Crest was 13th in the 2001 Classic (G1), and Big Macher finished ninth in the 2014 Xpressbet Sprint (G1) and 10th in the 2015 TwinSpires Sprint.

Out of the Formal Gold Mare Dressed to Kill, Lady Ninja was bred in Kentucky by Sugartown Stable.

Barring defections, the seven-furlong Filly & Mare Sprint could include Come Dancing, Spiced Perfection, Stormy Embrace, Bellafina, Guarana, Covfefe, and a handful of others.

Last year's L.A. Woman winner, Skye Diamonds, ran 10th in the Filly and Mare Sprint. A year before, 2017 L.A. Woman winner Unique Bella ran seventh as the favorite in the Filly and Mare Sprint.

On Saturday at Santa Anita, a trio of Breeders' Cup hopefuls trained by John Sadler recorded workouts. Higher Power and Ollie's Candy each breezed a half-mile in :47 1/5 in preparation for the Longines Classic and Longines Distaff (G1), respectively, and Catalina Cruiser breezed a bullet six furlongs in 1:12 4/5 toward a start in either the Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile (G1) or Sprint. The beaten favorite when sixth in last year's Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs, Catalina Cruiser won the seven-furlong Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar Aug. 24.

Also breezing Saturday toward the Breeders' Cup was the Phil D'Amato-trained Acclimate, who earned a berth in the Longines Turf (G1T) after winning the Del Mar Handicap Presented by The Japan Racing Association (G2T) at Del Mar. He worked a half mile in :49.