Weekend Stakes Rundown: Coast-to-Coast Action

Each week BloodHorse.com looks forward to the weekend's biggest races. Consider this your weekly guide to the best stakes races in North America. This week we have graded stakes action on both coasts at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern) and full previews can be found through the hyperlink for each race.

Saturday, Jan. 7

1 p.m.—$100,000 Old Hat Stakes at Gulfstream Park

St. Elias Stable's multiple stakes winner Bode's Dream will put her perfect form on the line when she makes her first start as a newly turned 3-year-old. Bode's Dream capped off her three-race juvenile campaign with a front-running victory in the House Party Stakes at Gulfstream Dec. 10, a race that marked the first start for the daughter of Bodemeister   off a six-month layoff.

1:30 p.m.—$100,000 Dania Beach Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park

After a 2-year-old campaign that saw Kitten's Cat become a stakes winner and a graded-placed performer, trainer Joe Sharp is understandably eager to see what 2017 holds for Ken and Sarah Ramsey's homebred. "I'm bringing the family with the anticipation of getting a picture taken," Sharp said.

4:29 p.m.—$100,000 Las Cienegas Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park

Five are entered for the grass sprint, but if conditions continue to be wet in Southern California, the race down the hillside turf course will likely be moved to the main track. D P Racing's Prize Exhibit is the only graded winner in the field. The Showcasing mare won the Monrovia Stakes (G2T) in January of 2016, along with the 2015 San Clemente Handicap (G2T) and Senorita Stakes (G3T).

4:34 p.m.—$100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park

It isn't often when trainer Tom Albertrani sends a horse yet to break his maiden into a graded stakes race, but the promising colt Hemsworth convinced him otherwise. The resulting 9 1/2-length romp in the Nashua (G2) Nov. 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack confirmed Albertrani's faith and left him excited about what might be in store during the Bernardini   colt's 3-year-old season, which begins in the Mucho Macho Man.

6:30 p.m.—$100,000 Sham Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park

Jerry and Ann Moss' Gormley ran a disappointing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), but trainer John Sherriffs is hopeful the Malibu Moon   colt will use that effort as a learning experience. Gormley had everything his own way in his first two starts, a 4 1/4-length debut win at Del Mar in September and a frontrunning score in the FrontRunner (G1) in October. A wide trip in the Juvenile wasn't as easy. "It was inexperience on his part," Shirreffs said. "It was only his third race. He won his maiden pretty easily and went to the lead in the FrontRunner. So it was 'What do I do?'"

7:30 p.m.—$200,000 San Gabriel Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Park

St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds' Ring Weekend has won races in Florida, New York, and California, but his next start could determine whether he'll try the international stage. Trainer Graham Motion said Jan. 4 that if the son of Tapit   runs well, a freshening could be ahead with plans to ship to England for the Queen Anne Stakes (GI) at Royal Ascot in June.

Sunday, Jan. 8

7 p.m.—$200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park

Following her 5 3/4-length victory in her debut, Shane's Girlfriend shipped east to Louisiana for the Delta Downs Princess Stakes (G3) and absolutely dominated nine other fillies to win 13 1/4 lengths. "Nobody expected that," O'Neill said. "Especially second time out, shipping to Louisiana, first start at two turns—there were a lot of reasons for her to run as good as she ran the first time, but nobody saw that coming."