La Tia Seeking Third Straight in Buena Vista

Speedy mare La Tia will look to capture her third straight graded stakes and fifth overall in the $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes (gr. IT) at one mile on the turf Feb. 16 at Santa Anita Park.



The City Place mare, bred in Illinois by owner Salvador Hernandez, will have to overcome post 1 and a highweight of 123 pounds, however, to control the tempo against a willing group of closers. La Tia makes her first start since capturing the prestigious Matriarch (gr. IT) Nov. 30 at Del Mar.



For older fillies and mares, the Buena Vista is the seventh race on the Presidents' Day card Monday, with an estimated post time of 3:30 p.m. PST.



Ridden again by Joel Rosario, the 6-year-old out of Sky Classic   mare La Adelita is trained by Armando de la Cerda. She won the Athenia Stakes (gr. IIIT) Oct. 12 at Belmont Park prior to the Matriarch. But in her past two starts drawing the inside post, she's finished third and fifth.

The consistent mare is a 10-time winner with six placings from 23 lifetime starts. With $983,326 in career earnings, she would surpass the $1 million mark with a top three finish.



La Tia's only competition for the lead appears to be two-time listed stakes-winning filly Uzziel, who has the outside post in the field of seven with jockey Fernando Perez. But the most significant challenge should come from a closing group headed by graded stakes winners Annecdote (post 6) and Nashoba's Gold (post 5).



George Bolton and Peter Leidel's British-bred Annecdote won her U.S. debut, after 13 races in England, in the Noble Damsel Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Belmont Park Sept. 13, then finished fifth in the Athenia Stakes (gr. IIIT) Oct. 12. The Lucky Story mare out of Zilzal mare May Fox will pick up jockey Victor Espinoza for her first trip west for trainer Christophe Clement.



Nashoba's Gold will also have a rider change to leading Santa Anita jockey Rafael Bejarano for the Buena Vista. Owned by breeder Warren B. Williamson, the 4-year-old filly won the Providencia Stakes (gr. IIIT) and Honeymoon Stakes (gr. IIT) with Joe Talamo last spring at Santa Anita, but hasn't been a factor when favored in her past two starts—a fifth-place finish in the American Oaks (gr. IT) May 31 and the listed Megahertz Stakes Jan. 17.



None of the other entrants are graded stakes winners, but could be in play late if the pace is right. Winning Rhythm, Diversy Harbor and Blingismything round out the field.



Glen Hill Farm's Diversy Harbor seems to be the most likely of that group to be in contention, with four seconds, a third and a fourth in seven graded stakes starts. Last time out, the Curlin   filly finished second, by a nose, to Lady Pimpernel in the Robert J. Frankel Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Santa Anita Dec. 27. Gary Stevens will return to ride the Tom Proctor-trained 4-year-old from post 3.