Heir Kitty with Gary Stevens wins Santa Anita’s La Brea Stakes

Gary Stevens rode Heir Kitty to victory Thursday in the $300,000 La Brea Stakes on the opening day of the winter/spring meeting at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia.

Sweet Lulu was second with Rafael Bejarano aboard, and Executiveprivilege, a Bob Baffert-trained horse ridden by Mike Smith, was third.

The La Brea Stakes, one of two Grade I races on Thursday’s nine-race card, is a seven-furlongs race for 3-year-old fillies.

Sweet Lulu, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, led for much of the race but Heir Kitty caught her on the outside in the final turn and edged Sweet Lulu by half a length at the finish.

Heir Kitty, owned by David Bernsen and Paul Makin, went off at 13-to-1 odds and paid $28.20 to win.

“She was content and stayed comfortable” until the final push, Stevens said. “I rode this race a bit like a turf race. I was able to sit back in the pocket; this dirt is in unbelievable condition.”

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