Lightstream Ships West for La Brea

Lightstream has made the trip west to take on the seven other fillies in the $300,000 La Brea Stakes (gr. I) Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park and some new owners will be aboard for her run in the seven-furlong test.

Since her last-time-out victory in the Oct. 22 Lexus Raven Run Stakes (gr. II) at Keeneland, the California-based syndicate Little Red Feather Racing has joined Up Hill Stable and Head of Plains Partners in ownership of the Harlan's Holiday filly.

"We just hope we can give them a reason to smile on Boxing Day," said Brian Lynch, who has trained Lightstream to three stakes wins in 2016—the Raven Run, Soaring Softly Stakes, and Adena Spings Beaumont (gr. III)—to go along with two grade I placings in the Test (second) and Mother Goose (third) stakes.

WINCZE-HUGHES: Lightstream Rallies to Win Raven Run

That consistency, according to Lynch, can be attributed to patience. Following recovery from a surgery to remove a bone chip in her ankle as a 2-year-old, Lynch has made sure to provide ideal spacing for the filly's races.

"We've tried to space her races and we don't run her unless she's doing good, so fortunately enough she's been pretty consistent all year," said Lynch, who calls the filly a "diva" back at the barn who is "all business" on the track. "The ankle chip could have been a blessing. Sometimes it gives them a chance to mature. Sometimes everything happens for a reason."

Lynch also likes what could end up to be a favorable pace scenario for Lightstream, with speedy stakes winners Enola Gray, Constellation, Coniah, Chao Chom, and Finley'sluckycharm also entered, along with normally forwardly placed fillies like Prefect Pic and Lunar Empress.

"Ultimately tracks vary from coast to coast," Lynch said of Lightstream, who closed from eighth to win the Raven Run. "A lot of time speed doesn't come back, but there's plenty of speed in the race. A few could get to banging heads and the race could set up for her or could not."

Coniah, who finished third in the Raven Run before a fourth-place run in the Zia Park Oaks Nov. 23, and Finley'sluckycharm are the other two out-of-town runners in the field.

Finley'sluckycharm, a Twirling Candy   filly trained by Bret Calhoun, has been tremendously impressive recently. Off a seven-month layoff after a seventh-place finish in the Rachel Alexandra (gr. II), her only graded start, Finley'sluckycharm has been untouchable at Churchill Downs. The filly has led at every call in three races, including conditional allowance victories by 7 1/4 and five lengths, respectively, in September and November. She then cruised to a 8 1/2-length score last time out in the Dream Supreme Stakes Nov. 25 at Churchill.

The likely favorites among the locals should be Chao Chom and Enola Gray, the one-two finishers last time out in the Nov. 13 Betty Grable Stakes at Del Mar.

BALAN: Chao Chom Upsets Enola Gray at Del Mar

Enola Gray, a three-time stakes winner in California-bred company, went off at 1-9 in the Betty Grable but was upset by Chao Chom at 8-1 in the seven-furlong race.