SENORITA STAKES SATURDAY

WEST PALM BEACH, PURSUING THE DREAM & EXUBERANCE ALL PROMINENT AT ONE MILE ON TURF IN WIDE OPEN GRADE III, $100,000 SENORITA STAKES AT SANTA ANITA ON SATURDAY


A pair of Irish-breds, West Palm Beach and Pursuing The Dream, along with Kentucky-bred Exuberance, all figure prominently among a field of seven 3-year-old fillies in Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Senorita Stakes at one mile over the Santa Anita turf.

An impressive winner over the course of her U.S. debut on March 16, West Palm Beach, who is trained by Simon Callaghan, seeks her fourth consecutive win on Saturday and looms the probable favorite with Tyler Baze taking over for Flavien Prat who is away to ride in Kentucky.

Trainer Jim Cassidy’s Pursuing The Dream, who pressed the pace and was beaten three quarters of a length in her U.S. debut, a 6 ½ furlong hillside turf allowance here on March 30, will get the services of Stewart Elliott and will likely be on the lead or thereabouts.

Trainer Ian Kruljac’s Kentucky-bred Exuberance, who will try turf for the first time, was second two starts back in the Grade II Las Virgenes Stakes and was most recently a troubled fourth in the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks on April 7.

WEST PALM BEACH

Owner:  Michael B. Tabor                             Trainer:  Simon Callaghan

A winner of her last two starts in England this past November, this Irish-bred filly by Scat Daddy tried turf for the first time in her U.S. debut March 16 and she responded with an authoritative 1 ¼ length win as the 7-5 favorite in a one mile turf allowance.  She has three wins from five overall starts and appears to be the horse to beat.

PURSUING THE DREAM

Owner:  D P Racing and Madaket Stables, LLC                     Trainer:  Jim Cassidy

Dismissed at 10-1, she ran too good to lose in her U.S. debut down the hillside turf, finishing fourth, beaten three quarters of a length while earning a solid 79 Beyer Speed figure.  With Drayden Van Dyke away to ride at Churchill Downs, Stewart Elliott will take over on what appears to be an improving filly for Cassidy.

EXUBERANCE

Owner:  Seltzer Thoroughbreds                Trainer:  Ian Kruljac

The leading money earner in the field with $131,200, she has a good measure of class and faced much tougher fillies in her most recent start, the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks, a race in which her chances were compromised by a troubled start.  A Kentucky-bred filly by Archarcharch, she’ll be ridden for the first time Tiago Pereira as she tackles turf for the first time in what will be her seventh career start.



THE GRADE III SENORITA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER




West Palm Beach–Tyler Baze–120
May Girl–Joe Talamo–120
Exuberance–Tiago Pereira–120
Treasuring–Brice Blanc–120
Consolida–Julien Couton–122
Pursuing The Dream–Stewart Elliott–120
Movie Moment–Geovanni Franco–120


Special early first post time for an 11-race card on Kentucky Derby Day, Saturday is at 12 
noon.