Great Hot to be ridden by Mike Smith and Home Sweet Aspen expected to take the Las Flores Stakes
The Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes draws a small field of six, 4-year-old and up fillies and mares to run over a distance of six and a half furlongs on 11 March, 2012, over the Santa Anita Park’s dirt course.
The Brazilian bred and the daughter of 2002 Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion, Orientate, is out of mare That’s Hot by Seeking the Gold, Great Hot is a 4-year-old filly trained by A. C. Avila. She is pointed toward the Las Flores Stakes, after making her seasonal
debut in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes at about 1 1/16 miles on dirt at Santa Anita.
With jockey Chantal Sutherland, the filly finished second to winner, Include Me Out, on 22 January, 2012. In her second start of the new campaign, the filly finished a disappointing 6th to winner, Ellafitz, in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes, also
at Santa Anita Park’s dirt course over a distance of 1 1/16 miles.
Jessica Coudelaria owned 4-year-old filly in the Las Flores Stakes will be cut back in distance from 1 1/16 miles to six and a half furlongs, but that is not the only change the filly is going to experience as a change in rider beckons for her next race.
Chantal Sutherland, who has ridden Great Hot for nine consecutive times, and won the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes with her, will make way for the Hall of Fame jockey, Mike Smith, who just needs seven wins to reach 5,000 of his career.
“The person paying the bills wanted to make a change,” trainer A.C. Avila said, referring to owner Jessica Coudelaria. “I don’t think Chantal did anything wrong.”
The trainer further went on to say regarding the disappointing loss in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes:
“She had back luck in that race,” Avila said. “The day after the race she popped a big abscess, but she’s recovered and it’s healed.”
John Sadler trained, Home Sweet Aspen is also in the Las Flores Stakes lineup, and the filly will be heading the small Las Flores field after her spectacular win in the Grade 1 Santa Monica Stakes over at seven furlongs at Santa Anita.
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