Santa Anita: Self Preservation

The second-place finish by Self Preservation in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 3 has left trainer Ben Cecil expecting a winning performance in Sunday’s $250,000 Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita.





The Grade 1 Oak Leaf Stakes, run over 1 1/16 miles for 2-year-old fillies, is a vital West Coast prep for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4.



Self Preservation made her American debut in the seven-furlong Del Mar Debutante, finishing second as a 24-1 outsider to favored Weemissfrankie, another hopeful for the Oak Leaf Stakes. The second-place finish surprised Cecil, who was not happy with the way Self Preservation trained after arriving from Ireland in early August.



“She didn’t train well down there,” he said.



That has not been the case at Santa Anita in recent weeks, he said.



“She’s a different filly since she got up here,” Cecil said.



Owned by Paul Reddam, Self Preservation is expected to face a solid grou in the Oak Leaf, including the Del Mar maiden race winners Charm the Maker, Egg Drop, and Regal Betty, and the stakes winners Candrea and Killer Graces.

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