Cavorting Heads La Brea Cast

Three-year-old fillies get their final chance for 2015 grade I glory Dec. 26 in the $300,000 La Brea Stakes going seven furlongs at Santa Anita Park. Ten sophomore fillies were entered.

Cavorting will haul top weight of 123 pounds in the La Brea. The Bernardini   filly closed from way out of it to finish fourth, beaten 3 3/4 lengths, in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) last out after having won the Prioress Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course by three lengths. She also took the Test Stakes (gr. I) there by 2 1/2 lengths, is the most accomplished runner in the field, and will go as the favorite—but needs pace to run into.

That early tempo should be provided by Hot City Girl, who has made the lead in each of her four most recent trips to post. In November she took the Safely Kept Stakes at Laurel Park by 8 1/4 lengths, and in September won the Charles Town Oaks (gr. III) wire to wire, both of those victories coming at seven furlongs.

Birdatthewire has been outfinished in her last three efforts, all at the grade II or grade I level. She last visited the winner's circle in March when she took the Gulfstream Park Oaks (gr. II). She is a multiple graded-stakes winner and, like Cavorting, does her best running from back in the pack.

Maybellene was placed first in the Sunland Park Oaks after having finished second. She is grade I-placed but needs to show a better late kick to top this cast.

Ben's Duchess is coming off a win in the LA Woman Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita in October, and if she gets to sit her trip just off the pace she could be dangerous. Rattataptap is another last-out winner, in allowance optional claiming company, but her tries in graded stakes have not yielded the desired effect and she will need to step up her game here.

Finest City has been first or second in four of her five starts but is untested at this level and draws the far outside. Lily Pod is a maiden winner trying stakes company for the first time and seems pitched too high. Moyo Honey comes off an allowance victory at Santa Anita but also does not seem a match with the best in this field. Pleasant Tales, with 12 lifetime starts, is the most experienced runner in the La Brea and comes in off an allowance win, but she was beaten more than 20 lengths by Cavorting in the Test and has shown little in her graded stakes tries.