Yours Sincerely ended a three-race losing streak, all in stakes, with a half-length win in an allowance at six furlongs on turf Jan. 11 at Santa Anita.
The victory has put Yours Sincerely in another stakes in Sunday’s $100,000 China Doll Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf at Santa Anita. This time, Yours Sincerely may be a more determined filly, trainer Phil D’Amato said Friday.
“I was impressed” with her last start, he said. “She faced a little bit of adversity and ran down a horse that didn’t want to be run down. I like what I saw.”
Yours Sincerely closed from fourth to beat a stubborn Umbralle by a half-length on Jan. 11. Your Sincerely’s four rivals in the China Doll may prove to be equally as tough to outrun.
The China Doll Stakes is the second of nine races on a program that begins at 1 p.m. Pacific.
:: Santa Anita Classic Meet! Get DRF Past Performances, Clocker Reports, and more.
Yours Sincerely, owned by a partnership that includes Sandra Benowitz and John Rochfort, starts from the inside post. The others, in post position order, are Counterbalance, a maiden race winner on turf Jan. 31; Himika, who was second in the Sweet Life Stakes on the hillside turf course Feb. 7; Peanutbutterbombe, third in an allowance race on turf Feb. 6; and Hypergamy, who was fourth in the Sweet Life.
Yours Sincerely will race from off the pace. She won a maiden race at a mile on turf with that style in August. In three starts in stakes from early September to late November, Yours Sincerely’s best result was a third in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar.
“She’s run some good races going long,” D’Amato said. “I think as fast as this turf course is, I don’t think a mile should be a problem.”
Counterbalance will be near the front. Her recent win at 6 1/2 furlongs came in her fourth start.
“I thought it was a gutty performance the other day,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “Hopefully, she can use her speed and be forwardly placed.”
Himika, trained by Bob Baffert, raced on turf for the first time in the Sweet Life, closing from eighth of 11. The winner of two sprint stakes on dirt, Himika starts around two turns for the second time on Sunday. She was fifth in the Grade 2 Oak Leaf Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on dirt at Santa Anita in October.
Peanutbutterbombe set the pace on Feb. 6 but is not reliant on that style, D’Amato insists.
“She’s tactical,” D’Amato said. “We were a little too aggressive and it caught up late. She can come from behind.”
Peanutbutterbombe closed from fifth to be third by a half-length in the Blue Norther Stakes on turf Dec. 29.
Hypergamy will be part of the pace.
“We’ll leave there running,” trainer Doug O’Neill said. “If there is a hot pace, we can sneak in and save ground. That’s so important on the turf.”
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.