Queen's Plate Winner Lexie Lou in Autumn Miss

Southern California race fans will get a rare look at a Queen's Plate winner when Lexie Lou takes on a full field of 3-year-old fillies in the $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes (gr. IIIT) Oct. 25 on the Santa Anita Park turf.



Fourteen sophomore fillies passed the entry box for the one-mile test, but with the portable rail set at 24 feet, only 10 will start.



Trainer Mark Casse's Lexie Lou scored a tour de force when she handily defeated males in the $1 million Queen's Plate, Canada's most famous race at 1 1/4 miles over the Woodbine Polytrack in July. That victory was preceded by a convincing win over 3-year-old fillies in the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, and she followed the Queen's Plate with a three-length score on the Woodbine turf in the 10-furlong Wonder Where Stakes.



She threw in a stinker last time when facing older females for the first time while in open company, fading out of contention when 10th as the 3-2 choice in the Canadian Stakes (Can-IIT) on grass Sept. 14.



Back in against her own age group, the Ontario-bred daughter of Sligo Bay owned by Gary Barber looms large in the big field Saturday as she makes her third start on grass. There are questions, though. This will be her first try at the one-mile distance and she comes into the race with just one work since the Canadian, a five-furlong breeze at Keeneland Oct. 14 in 1:01 3/5.



Corey Nakatani will be aboard the bay filly for the first time. Lexie Lou, who comes into the Autumn Miss with six wins from 14 starts and earnings of $1,309,714, breaks from post 5.



The Autumn Miss lineup also includes local stakes winner Diversy Harbor, second in the American Oaks (gr. IT) at Santa Anita in May but disappointing in two starts this summer at Del Mar. Glen Hill Farm's late-running Curlin   filly will be making her first start for trainer Tom Proctor since finishing sixth of eight in the Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT) Aug. 16. With a solid pace likely, jockey Mike Smith figures to have Diversy Harbor, who breaks from post 6, flying late.



Alexis Tangier won Santa Anita’s Unzip Me Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs over the hillside turf course Sept. 27 in her stakes debut. She has won two in a row for Ran Jan Racing and trainer Richard Mandella. Victor Espinoza has the return mount.



Carrying top weight of 122 pounds is Sheza Smoke Show off her 10-1 upset win in Santa Anita's Senorita Stakes (gr. IIIT) at the Autumn Miss distance in June. The Peter Eurton trainne has been out of the money in two starts since, however.



Texas-bred Thegirlinthatsong returns to Southern California following a second in the Remington Park Oaks in Oklahoma Sept. 28. She will be making her third start for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and be ridden back by Rafael Bejarano. Well traveled, she is a two-time minor stakes winner and she’s run at six different tracks in 16 career starts.



Although winless in three stateside starts, Irish-bred Wonderfully was a group III winner going seven furlongs for trainer Aidan O'Brien in her native country July 18. Now in the Proctor barn, the Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings' filly figures to generate considerable interest as she’ll be ridden by veteran jockey Perry Ouzts. 



At age 60, Ouzts will be riding for the first time at Santa Anita in an attempt to tie retired Hall of Famer Eddie Delahoussaye with his 6,384th win.



Proctor will also saddle George Krikorian’s Famous Alice, eighth last time out against older rivals in the Rodeo Drive Stakes (gr. IT).

Burning Arch, Kool Kat, Gender Agenda, and Maibaby are on the also-eligible list.