SANTA ANITA : 10 Fillies Enter Las Virgenes Stakes Race

Cheval Volant, winner of the Hollywood Starlet and Bay Meadows Oaks in her last two starts, heads a field of 10 sophomore fillies for the $125,000-added Las Virgenes Stakes Saturday at Santa Anita.

Stakes winners abound in the one-mile Las Virgenes, including Fit to Scout, Bright Candles, Nasers Pride and Materco.

Jumps, Shapiro and Stark’s Cheval Volant was a 25-to-1 surprise when she captured the Grade I Starlet at Hollywood Park to close out her 2-year-old campaign. Coming off her 1 1/2-length Starlet triumph, the daughter of Kris S became an odds-on favorite for the Bay Meadows Oaks and prevailed on an off track by a neck over Materco, winner of the California Breeders’ Champion Stakes (filly division).

Robert Snell’s Fit to Scout reached the Santa Anita winner’s circle three times last month. Her victories include the La Centinela Stakes at a mile and the Grade II Santa Ynez at seven furlongs.

Lukas and Overbrook Farm’s Bright Candles missed by a head in the Santa Ynez but came back to nip Heaven For Bid in the Santa Ysabel Stakes on Feb. 12.

Nasers Pride, third in the La Centinela, previously won the Bay Meadows Lassie and has been in the money in all of her six career starts.

With 10 runners, the Grade I Las Virgenes will offer a purse of $137,400 and winner’s share of $81,150.

In post position order, the field includes Bright Candles, Gary Stevens up at 119 pounds; Fit to Scout, Chris McCarron, 121; Hail Atlantis, Russell Baze, 115; Heaven For Bid, Pat Valenzuela, 117; Materco, Eddie Delahoussaye, 121; Brought to Mind, Kent Desormeaux, 115; Nasers Pride, Laffit Pincay Jr., 119; For My Mom, Robbie Davis, 115; Orrefor, Corey Nakatani, 115, and Cheval Volant, Alex Solis, 123.

Pincay returns Saturday after a four-week recovery from a broken collarbone suffered in a harness racing exhibition at Los Alamitos. He anticipated being back last weekend but aggravated an arm while working horses earlier last week.