Bodhicitta Aims for Grade 1 Success in Rodeo Drive

Surging Bodhicitta, who already has put together an impressive 2020 season racing in Southern California turf races, will look to put the cherry on top when she starts in the $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) Sept. 26 at Santa Anita Park.

Calvin Nguyen's Bodhicitta has three wins and a second in four starts this season and enters the 1 1/4-mile turf test off the first graded stakes win of her career—a narrow victory in the Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T) Aug. 8 at Del Mar. That victory marked her first start since a strong showing in the May 25 Gamely Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita, where she rallied from eighth to finish second in her first grade 1 try.

Video: Yellow Ribbon H. (G2T)

Now the 4-year-old Showcasing filly will try to nail down her first win at the highest level when she faces an expected six other fillies and mares in the Rodeo Drive, a Breeders' Cup Challenge race that awards a "Win and You're In" fees-paid entry to the Filly & Mare Turf (G1T).

Trained by Richard Baltas, Bodhicitta took some time to put everything together. She started her career in Ireland, where she failed to win in four starts but did place in each of those efforts. Bodhicitta made her U.S. debut in July 2019 and secured a maiden race win in her third North American start: a 2 1/4-length score in October 2019 at Santa Anita. 

Bodhicitta opened this year with back-to-back allowance-level wins at Santa Anita ahead of her stakes efforts. Flavien Prat has been aboard for all of her 2020 starts and is named to ride Saturday.

One of Bodhicitta's top rivals figures to be stablemate Lady Prancealot, a 4-year-old daughter of Sir Prancealot  who won last year's American Oaks (G1T) on the Santa Anita turf. Racing for a large partnership of owners, Lady Prancealot has not won in four starts since that Dec. 28 effort, but she delivered her best outing of the season in her most recent start, rallying from sixth to finish a close second to Raymundos Secret in the John C. Mabee Stakes (G2T) Sept. 5 at Del Mar.

Also awaiting Bodhicitta will be another daughter of Sir Prancealot in Tonahutu, who finished just a nose behind her in the Yellow Ribbon. Since then, 6-year-old Tonahutu scored a clear victory in an allowance-level race Sept. 5 at Del Mar. Trained by Doug O'Neill, Tonahutu was claimed for $32,000 May 31 at Santa Anita.

Also looking to secure her first grade 1 win will be Mucho Unusual, who last year won the San Clemente Stakes (G2) and this year has earned placings in three stakes, including the Buena Vista Stakes (G2T) and the Gamely. George Krikorian's Mucho Unusual, a daughter of Mucho Macho Man , has a 4-3-4 record from 15 starts and has earned $522,715.

Entries: Rodeo Drive S. (G1T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, September 26, 2020, Race 7

• Grade I
• 1 1/4m
• Downhill turf
• $300,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:41 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Tonahutu (IRE)	Abel Cedillo	122	Doug F. O'Neill	5/1
2	2Maxim Rate (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Simon Callaghan	4/1
3	3Bodhicitta (GB)	Flavien Prat	124	Richard Baltas	5/2
4	4Mucho Unusual (CA)	Juan J. Hernandez	122	Tim Yakteen	5/1
5	5Pretty Point (KY)	Mike E. Smith	122	Patrick Gallagher	12/1
6	6Lady Prancealot (IRE)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	126	Richard Baltas	2/1
7	7Catch the Eye (KY)	Victor Espinoza	122	David E. Hofmans	12/1