AVENGE HEADS COMPETITIVE FIELD OF 14 IN SATURDAY’S GRADE I, $300,000 RODEO DRIVE STAKES FOR FILLIES

RODEO DRIVE IS ONE OF FIVE BREEDERS’ CUP ‘WIN AND YOU’RE IN’ CHALLENGE RACES AT SANTA ANITA

ARCADIA, Calif. (Sept. 28, 2016)—Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella will supply two doses of dangerous in Avenge and Majestic Heat in Saturday’s Grade I, $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on the grass for fillies and mares, three and up.

A final prep for the $2,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, the Rodeo Drive has attracted a very competitive field of 14, all vying for their chance at automatic entry, including entry fees paid into the World Championships race Nov. 5 at Santa Anita.

AVENGE: Fresh off back to back victories at Del Mar, including a head win in the Grade II, John C. Mabee Stakes, the 4-year-old filly by War Front will be seeking her third consecutive win Saturday. Bought for $650,000 out of the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, Avenge is owned by Ramona Bass. Flavien Prat, the go-to rider for many right now, returns to the trainer who mentored his quick rise in the industry, and to a horse he has won four out of six with.

SOBRADORA INC: A 4-year-old Argentine-bred filly by the Broad Brush stallion, Include, Sobradora Inc has only one loss in a six race career that came in her last outing, a fifth place finish in the John C. Mabee to Avenge. Saturday will be her third U.S. start for trainer Simon Callaghan and owner Katsumi Yoshida and will retain the services of Rafael Bejarano, aboard for all three stateside starts.

MAJESTIC HEAT: The “other Mandella” in the race looms a credible threat to the rest of the field and will also be seeking her third win in a row. A 4-year-old filly by Unusual Heat, “Majestic” is owned by Madeline Auerbach, Bardy Farm and Ron McCauley. Favored in her last two outings, Majestic Heat was the winner of a one mile turf allowance at Santa Anita in June, and most recently, won the Solana Beach Stakes at Del Mar August 14. Gary Stevens, aboard for the Grade III Autumn Miss Oct. 17 of last year, will again ride.

DECKED OUT: Trained by Keith Desormeaux and owned by Big Chief Racing, LLC, Head of Plains Partners, LLC and Gene Voss, this 3-year-old filly by Street Boss will run in her sixth consecutive graded stakes race Saturday. “In the money” 50 percent of her 14 lifetime starts, Decked Out comes off a solid second place finish in the Grade I, Del Mar Oaks at 1 1/8 miles on the turf Aug. 20.

THE GRADE I RODEO DRIVE STAKES IN POST POSITION ORDER WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS

Race 8 (of 11) Approximate post time 4:00 p.m. PST

1. Keri Belle – Norberto Arroyo, Jr. – 121 2. Frenzified (GB) – Santiago Gonzalez – 121 3. Queen of The Sand (IRE) – Brice Blanc – 121 4. Avenge – Flavien Prat – 121 5. Real Smart – Drayden VanDyke – 121 6. Tiz a Kiss – Joe Talamo – 121 7. Majestic Heat – Gary Stevens – 121 8. Fresh Feline – Chantal Sutherland – 121 9. Generosidade (URU) – Tiago Pereira – 121 10. Nancy From Nairobi (GB) – Mike Smith – 121 11. Decked Out – Kent Desormeaux – 118 12. Zipessa – Florent Geroux – 121 13. Elecktrum (IRE) – Victor Espinoza – 121 14. Sobradora Inc (ARG) – Rafael Bejarano – 123

First post time on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. Admission gates open at 10:30 a.m. For scratches, late changes and complete morning line information, please visit http://www.santaanita.com/horse-racing/live-racing/