Lady Prancealot, Mo Forza, Laura's Light, Texas Wedge win stakes races during first week of Santa Anita meet

Four horses stabled at the San Luis Rey Training Center when they are not racing won stakes races during the first week of the Santa Anita Park winter meet.

Lady Prancealot won the Dec. 28 American Oaks stakes, Mo Forza took first place in the Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes Dec. 28, Laura’s Light finished the Dec. 29 Blue Norther Stakes in first place, and Texas Wedge won the Jan. 1 Joe Hernandez Stakes.

Peter Miller trains Mo Forza, Laura’s Light and Texas Wedge. Richard Baltas is the trainer of Lady Prancealot.

The American Oaks is a Grade 1 stakes race for 3-year-old fillies. The 1 1/4-mile race was held on Santa Anita’s turf course, and eight horses competed Dec. 28.

“I think it was the highlight of a great year with that filly,” Baltas said.

“American Oaks is a Grade 1 race, which is extremely hard to win,” Baltas said. “We got a really good ride from Joe Bravo and she got the job done.”

Bravo normally rides at East Coast and Kentucky tracks.

“Joe Bravo came out here to ride her. He got her to settle really nice,” Baltas said.

Bravo and Lady Prancealot were sixth after a quarter of a mile although only 4 1/2 lengths in back of leader So Much Happy. Half a mile into the race Bravo and Lady Prancealot were still sixth and 4 1/4 lengths behind So Much Happy, who led for the first mile of the race.

Bravo and Lady Prancealot were sixth after three-quarters of a mile and after 1 mile but were 3 1/2 lengths behind So Much Happy three-quarters of a mile into the race and 2 3/4 lengths in back of the leader after completing 1 mile.

As the horses entered the stretch Mucho Unusual was in the lead and was a head in front of second-place Vibrance, who led Lady Prancealot by half a length. Lady Prancealot had a one-length lead over fourth-place Apache Princess.

Bravo made his move in the stretch.

“He had a decision to make at the top of the lane,” Baltas said. “He chose to go through a very small hole. She’s a small filly herself and she was willing.”

Macho Unusual and jockey Joel Rosario settled for second, half a length in back of Lady Prancealot. The winning time for Lady Prancealot was 2:01.70.

“Came out of the race really good, so extremely happy with her,” Baltas said.

The race was Lady Prancealot’s fifth win in 17 career starts and her fourth win in eight 2019 starts. The $180,000 first-place share of the total $300,000 purse brought Lady Prancealot’s career earnings to $547,841.

“She’s just overachieved since we’ve had her,” Baltas said. “She’s brought us a lot of joy.”

The American Oaks was the third Grade 1 stakes race for Lady Prancealot. As a 2-year-old she finished last among the 14 horses in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf race at Churchill Downs. She was the third horse across the finish line in the 2019 Del Mar Oaks stakes race Aug. 17 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

Before her American Oaks victory, the most recent race for Lady Prancealot was the Grace 3 Pin Oak Valley View Stakes at the Keeneland track in Lexington, Kentucky, Oct. 18; she won that 1 1/16-mile race by three-quarters of a length. As a 2-year-old Lady Prancealot ran the 2018 Blue Norther Stakes and finished fourth.

“She seemed to really thrive at San Luis Rey, and my crew there did an awesome job with her,” Baltas said.

Lady Prancealot was sired by Sir Prancealot out of Naqrah and foaled in Ireland Feb. 9, 2016.

“She lays it down every time she runs,” Baltas said.

Her next race is to be determined.

“I don’t try to plan the whole year,” Baltas said. “We just want to enjoy it and take our time.”

A March race is likely.

“I want to give her a little break,” Baltas said. “She seems to do better with two months between races.”

Mo Forza was one of 11 horses in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes, a one-mile contest on the turf for 3-year-olds. Rosario was Mo Forza’s jockey.

Rosario and Mo Forza broke 10th, and after a quarter of a mile they were in ninth place although only nine lengths in back of leader Never Easy.

“We thought we'd be up a little bit closer, but he didn’t break that well and the pace was fast and Joel took him to the back,” Miller said.

Rosario and Mo Forza were also in ninth place after half a mile but had closed the gap to 4 1/4 lengths.

Never Easy also led at the 3/4-mile point but only by a head over Neptune’s Storm, which is trained by Baltas but is based at Santa Anita. Mo Forza was third, half a length behind Neptune’s Storm and a length ahead of fourth-place Ocean Fury.

When Mo Forza crossed the finish line 1:34.26 after the start of the race he was 1 1/4 lengths in front of second-place Originaire and 2 3/4 lengths ahead of third-place Neptune’s Storm.

“The horse ran very well, had a very wide trip,” Miller said of Mo Forza. “Very pleased with the performance.”

The Mathis Brothers Mile victory was the fourth career win and fourth consecutive first-place finish for the horse who began his racing career in August, and the $120,000 winner’s share of the $300,000 total purse brought his career earnings to $499,460 for his nine races. Mo Forza’s previous race was the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby stakes race, Nov. 30, at Del Mar.

Uncle Mo sired Mo Forza out of Unusual Heat. Mo Forza was foaled in Kentucky April 5, 2016. The Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf race, Jan. 25, at Gulfstream Park in Florida will likely be Mo Forza’s next race.

The Blue Norther Stakes is an ungraded stakes race for 2-year-old fillies. The one-mile turf competition, Dec. 29, had nine horses. Laura’s Light was ridden by Abel Cedillo.

Miller told Cedillo to take the lead early if the situation warranted and to wait if that was the more appropriate option.

“Kind of left it up to Abel,” Miller said.

Cedillo and Laura’s Light broke third and moved into the lead shortly afterward. They reached the quarter-mile point 23.73 seconds into the race and held a half-length lead over second-place Blue Sky Baby.

The first half-mile took Cedillo and Laura’s Light 47.54 seconds and they had a 1 1/2 lead over Blue Sky Baby, who remained in second. Blue Sky Baby was still in second after three-quarters of a mile and had closed the lead to one length; Cedillo and Laura’s Light needed 1:11.72 from the start of the race to reach that point.

Laura’s Light entered the stretch 1:23.52 after the starter’s gate was opened. The lead over Blue Sky Baby had been increased to two lengths, and Cedillo and Laura’s Light were 2 1/2 lengths in front of third-place Parkour.

When Cedillo and Laura’s Light crossed the finish line they were 3 1/4 lengths in front of second-place Croughavouke. The winning time was 1:35.18.

“She took it to him (Cedillo) and finished up strong,” Miller said.

The race was the third for Laura’s Light and her second career victory. She won her first career race Nov. 2 at the Golden Gate Fields track in Northern California and finished second in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes race, Nov. 30, at Del Mar.

Laura’s Light earned $49,320 for her first-place finish to bring her total earnings to $87,320. She did not qualify for the bonus for California-bred horses as she was foaled in Kentucky March 15, 2017. She was sired by Constitution out of Light of a Star.

Miller and owner Gary Barber have not yet determined the next race for Laura’s Light.

All horses are considered to have a Jan. 1 birthday regardless of the date they were actually foaled, so Texas Wedge was a 5-year-old Jan. 1 when he ran in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes for 4-year-olds and upward. The 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint had 10 horses.

Texas Wedge and jockey Flavien Prat broke second and were fifth after a quarter of a mile, 2 1/4 lengths in back of leader Bay Muzik. After three-eighths of a mile Prat and Texas Wedge were in fourth and four lengths behind Bay Muzik, who was still in the lead.

“He got dropped a little bit early in the race but after that had a good trip, got a good ride and ran one of the best races,” Miller said.

Bay Muzik held the lead entering the stretch and was a length in front of Captain Scotty, who was half a length ahead of Texas Wedge. Grinning Tiger was in fourth place and trailed Texas Wedge by two lengths.

Prat and Texas Wedge took the lead during the stretch. They finished three-quarters of a length in front of second-place Double Touch and completed the race in 1:02.47.

“He’s a very solid, hard-knocking horse,” Miller said.

The Joe Hernandez Stakes win was the fifth career victory for Texas Wedge in 13 starts and it was his first stakes win in five career stakes races. His previous win Nov. 1 was at Kentucky’s Churchill Downs track, so the Joe Hernandez Stakes was Texas Wedge’s first California victory since the 2017 Del Mar Thoroughbred Club fall meet.

Before the Joe Hernandez Stakes race Texas Wedge last raced in California in July 2018 at Opening Day of that year’s Del Mar Thoroughbred Club summer meet.

“He’s very versatile,” Miller said. “He can run on different surfaces and different tracks.”

Texas Wedge was foaled in Kentucky Jan. 3, 2015. He was sired by Colonel John out of Callmenancy. The 2017 Del Mar summer meet provided Texas Wedge with a win in his first career start.

The $120,000 winner’s share of the Joe Hernandez Stakes purse brought Texas Wedge’s career total earnings to $313,530. Miller is hoping that a Pegasus race will be the next one for Texas Wedge.

“I think it probably exceeded my expectations,” Miller said of winning three stakes races during the meet’s first week. “Very satisfying.”