Opportunity Awaits Clearly Unhinged in La Brea

Opportunity knocks for the 10 3-year-old fillies racing in the $300,000 La Brea Stakes (G1) Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park.

As the final graded stakes race of the year on dirt in that division, it offers the chance for top-level black-type prestige and this year at least—against a field largely shy of established grade 1 credentials. At least a couple of the leading nominees to the seven-furlong race located in other parts of the country bypassed the race due to poor flight options to California around the holidays, leaving just one existing graded stakes winner entered—Ice Dancing .

The only filly in the race with a grade 1 placing this year is Rock Brother Racing's homebred Clearly Unhinged , a close second in the seven-furlong Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course this summer in a race marred by the late breakdown of leader Maple Leaf Mel. Clearly Unhinged crossed the wire a head behind Pretty Mischievous , the Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner and likely champion 3-year-old filly of 2023.

Since then, Clearly Unhinged ran second against older horses in the 6 1/2-furlong Chillingworth Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Sept. 29 and sixth in the seven-furlong Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) there Nov. 4, weakening late on both occasions. The daughter of Into Mischief   is 2-2-0 in six starts overall with earnings of $242,000.

"She's been unlucky with some post positions drawn down inside, had to use her up a little early a couple of times," trainer Michael McCarthy said. "Obviously she has a very respectable race record, seems to show up and give it her all every time.

"(This is) the last grade 1 of the year for 3-year-old fillies—I'm looking forward to seeing if we can get the job done here."

Though her two wins have come at 6 1/2 furlongs, McCarthy is hopeful that she is capable at seven furlongs of the La Brea against fillies from her age group, pointing to how she performed in the Test.

He called the La Brea a wide-open race. Besides Santa Ynez Stakes (G3) winner Ice Dancing, other contenders include Big Pond , Daddysruby , and Howl .

Umberto Rispoli rides Clearly Unhinged from post 9.

The Competition

California-bred Daddysruby, a daughter of Frac Daddy , jumps in class after winning an open first-level allowance optional claiming race Oct. 26 at Santa Anita, in which she sped six furlongs on the lead in 1:09.56. She scored by 5 1/4 lengths and earned a 103 Equibase Speed Figure, the top last-race speed figure in the La Brea.

She is unraced beyond six furlongs on dirt but handled a mile without difficulty on grass when matched against California-breds this summer at Del Mar. Her only defeat in five starts came in a 1 1/16-mile turf race Sept. 3 at Del Mar.

Juan Hernandez returns aboard Daddysruby, who races for breeder Jethorse and Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber. Wachtel Stable and Barber became partners in Daddysruby after a fast debut win for Jethorse and then-trainer Tim McCanna Jan. 7 over Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields.

Two of the ungraded stakes-winning fillies entered are Big Pond and Howl.

• Big Pond won the Fleet Treat Stakes against California-breds this summer over a field that included eventual grade 1 winner Ceiling Crusher . 
• Howl took the Nov. 25 Safety Kept Stakes by a length at Laurel Park after an initial maiden win at Keeneland.