Oleksandra Back Against Jolie Olimpica in Las Cienegas

Team Valor International's Oleksandra, who took down the boys in the Jaipur Stakes (G1T) last summer, will aim to rebound from her off-the-board Breeders' Cup World Championships effort when she takes on five other fillies and mares dashing six furlongs in the $100,000 Las Cienegas Stakes (G3T) Jan. 9 at Santa Anita Park.

The Las Cienegas was originally run at about 6 1/2 furlongs on Santa Anita's hillside turf course and on Saturday will be contested for the first time out of the track's new turf chute.

Oleksandra will find a familiar foe in Fox Hill Farms' Jolie Olimpica, who held off the 7-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom by a half length in the 5 1/2-furlong Monrovia Stakes (G2T) May 25 at Santa Anita. 

Oleksandra followed that effort with a rallying neck victory in the six-furlong Jaipur June 20 at Belmont Park. She was then away until the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) Nov. 7 at Keeneland to recuperate from a fractured left front splint bone. In that race, the Australian homebred was off slow, raced wide, and steadied in the stretch after lugging in. She got up to only finish ninth. 

Video: Jaipur S. (G1T)

The dark bay mare resumed training after she was bought back on a final bid of $1.45 million at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Trainer Neil Drysdale sent her out for a sharp work Jan. 6 in which she breezed a half mile in :47 4/5 on Santa Anita's training track. Joel Rosario will be in the irons for the seventh consecutive race in post 6.

Jolie Olimpica, a group 1 winner in her native Brazil, had two wins and two seconds from four starts in 2020 after moving stateside. She won the Las Cienegas last year. The 5-year-old Drosselmeyer mare has been away since second, beaten less than a length by Rushing Fall, after setting the pace in the 1 1/16-mile Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) July 11 at Keeneland.

She resumed galloping in late September after recovering from a fever and has worked regularly since the start of October for trainer Richard Mandella. Regular rider Mike Smith will be aboard from the outside post.

Jolie Olimpica is favored at 8-5 over Oleksandra at 9-5 on the morning line.

Video: Coolmore Jenny Wiley S. (G1T)

Two last out victors will take on the leading graded stakes winners. LNJ Foxwoods' Lighthouse returns from a victory in the Music City Stakes Sept. 15 at Kentucky Downs, and Perry Bass II and Ramona Bass' Superstition steps up after breaking her maiden Nov. 14 and following it 15 days later with an allowance optional claiming score at Del Mar.

Completing the field are two mares making their first start for new connections. Grade 2-placed Bohemian Bourbon will race for MyRacehorse after previously racing in Kentucky and on the East Coast, and stakes-placed Charmaine's Mia will start for Agave Racing Stable after moving from her previous Woodbine base.

Sherman Racing, Zvika Akin, and Robert Harkins' Acting Out was scratched, according to a tweet from Santa Anita morning-line oddsmaker Jon White.

Entries: Las Cienegas S. (G3T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, January 09, 2021, Race 9

• Grade IIIT
• 6f
• Turf
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:05 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Bohemian Bourbon (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	120	Michael W. McCarthy	15/1
2	2Charmaine's Mia (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	120	Philip D'Amato	15/1
98	3Acting Out (KY)	SCRATCHED	0	UNKNOWN	-
3	4Lighthouse (KY)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	122	Simon Callaghan	5/2
4	5Superstition (KY)	Flavien Prat	120	Richard E. Mandella	6/1
5	6Oleksandra (AUS)	Joel Rosario	122	Neil D. Drysdale	9/5
6	7Jolie Olimpica (BRZ)	Mike E. Smith	122	Richard E. Mandella	8/5