Awesome Baby Heads Speedy Field in La Brea

A two-time graded stakes winner earlier this year at Santa Anita Park, Awesome Baby will put her speed to the test when she returns to action in the $300,000 La Brea Stakes (gr. I) on opening day Dec. 26 at the Arcadia, Calif., track.



Trained by Bob Baffert for owner Kaleem Shah, Awesome Baby has been idle since romping in the listed Sunland Park Oaks March 23. The daughter of Awesome Again   heads a solid group of 10 sophomore fillies in the seven-furlong La Brea as the winter/spring meet begins Friday. The La Brea is race 6 on the program with a 2:30 p.m. PST tentative post.



Baffert, who starts four colts in the Malibu for 3-year-old males later on the card, has a formidable duo for the La Brea in Awesome Baby and Jojo Warrior, who drew the far outside post. The Hall of Fame conditioner is seeking his seventh victory in the La Brea.



Other leading contenders are Taris, who swamped her opponents by nine lengths in the Lexus Raven Run (gr. II) at Keeneland, and Thank You Marylou and Stonetastic, third in fourth in the Draftkings Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I).



Awesome Baby, who has not been headed in her past three races, captured the Santa Ynez (gr. II) at 6 1/2 furlongs Jan. 4. The dark bay filly came back with route wins in the Santa Ysabel (gr. III) and Sunland Park Oaks, both at 1 1/16 miles in March.

She disappointed as the even money favorite in her only try at seven furlongs, finishing a well-beaten seventh in last year's Del Mar Debutante (gr. I) over Polytrack. A winner of four of her six starts, Awesome Baby will have Mike Smith aboard once again from post 4 as she seeks her fourth win in a row.

Among those who are capable of vying with Awesome Baby on the front end, if Smith elects to go, are Taris, Uzziel, Stonetastic, and Amaranth.



Jojo Warrior has some speed as well. Like her stablemate, she is also a two-time graded stakes winner this year for her breeder, Zayat Stables, and co-owner WinStar Farm. The daughter of Pioneerof the Nile   has not been out since posting a solid third after setting the pace in the Cotillion Stakes (gr. I) Sept. 20, finishing two lengths behind the likely champion 3-year-old filly Untapable.



The bay won both the Summertime Oaks (gr. II) and Torrey Pines Stakes (gr. III) consecutively this summer before venturing east to take on Untapable and Sweet Reason in the Cotillion. Martin Garcia is once again aboard Jojo Warrior.



Taris, who drew the rail with Rafael Bejarano up, makes her first start for trainer Simon Callaghan. She comes off a pair of scintillating victories in the seven-furlong Raven Run Oct. 18 and a 7 3/4-length allowance romp going six furlongs over the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs Sept. 10. The daughter of Flatter   has won four of her five starts and is in search of her third consecutive victory.



"The distance of the La Brea seemed logical, coming off the seven-furlong Raven Run," Callaghan noted. "Down the road we might look to stretch her out but she's done very well at this distance and we're looking forward to the race."



Kelly Breen ships in with Stonetastic, a runaway 8 1/2-length winner of the Prioress Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 30. Third in Keeneland's Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (gr. III) Oct. 4, she made the lead in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at seven furlongs before being headed at midstretch and weakening to fourth. Paco Lopez makes the trip to retain the mount on the gray daughter of Mizzen Mast  .



Trainer Mike Maker also ships in with Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Thank You Marylou, who outran her 40-1 odds with a big effort in the Filly & Mare Sprint last time. She was a distant third to Taris in the Raven Run prior to that. The Birdstone   filly captured the seven-furlong Dogwood Stakes (gr. III) by a widening 6 1/2 lengths at Churchill Downs in September. Joel Rosario is engaged to ride for the first time.



Highland Yard's Amaranth comes off a gutty win in the off-the-turf Senator Ken Maddy Stakes Nov. 1, while Reddam Racing's California-bred More Complexity took the Betty Grable Stakes for state-breds last time out. Stakes winners Uzziel and Ramona's Wildcat complete the field, along with Sam's Sister, who steps into stakes company for the first time with three wins from four starts for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.