Avenge Aims for First Grade I in Rodeo Drive

After securing her first graded stakes win in her previous start, Avenge will try a grade I stakes for the first time in the $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes Oct. 1 at Santa Anita Park.

Ramona Bass's Avenge enters the 1 1/4-mile turf race for fillies and mares off a narrow victory in the John C. Mabee Stakes (gr. IIT) Sept. 4 on the Del Mar turf. In that race the 4-year-old War Front   filly shadowed early leader Gloryzapper, opened a two-length lead in the stretch, then held off a late charge from grade II winner Finest City to win by a head.

The 1 1/8-mile John C. Mabee had been Avenge's longest race to date and she'll stretch out another furlong Saturday for trainer Richard Mandella. Bred in Kentucky by the Lerici Syndicate, Avenge has earned the top two Equibase Speed Figures of her career in her past two starts: a 113 in an allowance-optional claiming win July 24 at one mile on the Del Mar turf and a 108 in her John C. Mabee score.

Mandella, who is looking for his first Rodeo Drive victory, also will also be stretching out Majestic Heat, a 4-year-old Unusual Heat filly who enters off a victory in the one-mile Solona Beach Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares Aug. 14 at Del Mar.

The Rodeo Drive is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" race to the Filly and Mare Turf (gr. I).

Also looking to punch their tickets to that race from Saturday's field of 14 will be Frenzified who has improved her placing in each of her three races since arriving in Southern California from England. The 4-year-old Yeats filly finished third in an allowance-optional claimer June 17 at Santa Anita, second in an allowance-optional claimer July 17 at Del Mar, and first in the CTT and TOC Handicap Aug. 19. That score going 1 3/8 miles on the Del Mar turf marked the first stakes win for the James Cassidy trainee.

Trainer Graham Motion, who won last year's Rodeo Drive with Photo Call, will send out grade III winner Real Smart this year. A 4-year-old Smart Strike filly, Real Smart will try to bounce back from an off-the-board finish in the Waya Stakes (gr. IIIT) Aug. 6 at Saratoga Race Course. Two starts back Real Smart scored a clear victory in the Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Delaware Park, her stakes debut.

The field also includes grade III winner Zipessa owned by Empyrean Stables. Zipessa enters off a third-place finish in the Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT) Aug. 13 at Arlington International Racecourse. Before that effort, the 4-year-old City Zip   filly won the Dr. James Penny Memorial Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Parx Racing.

Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler send out the formidable duo of grade II winners Nancy From Nairobi and Elektrum. Nancy From Nairobi, by Sixties Icon, won the one-mile Royal Heroine Stakes (gr. II) four starts back on the Santa Anita turf while Elektrum enters off three straight third-place finishes in turf stakes races in Southern California, including a placing in the May 30 Gamely Stakes (gr. I) on the Santa Anita turf.