Saturday’s standout event among the nine races scheduled at Santa Anita is the Grade 3 La Cañada Stakes, featuring older mares competing over 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Leading contenders include the 7-5 favorite Brilliantly and the 9-5 second favorite So There She Was. Both are set to participate in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at seven furlongs on opening day, December 28, before stepping up in distance and class relief at La Cañada.
Brilliantly, trained by Bob Baffert, impressively outpaced So There She Was in the La Brea, despite the latter’s slow start. Though Brilliantly earned her first victory on turf over a mile last March, this will mark her first attempt at a dirt race beyond one turn. In contrast, So There She Was, under trainer Doug O’Neill, has demonstrated success on dirt, including a win at the Remington Park Oaks at 1 1/16 miles last year, and a close runner-up finish in the 1-mile G3 Torrey Pines at Del Mar.
“I believe returning to a two-turn race is positive for her. She’s been training strongly and consistently shows up,” noted O’Neill.
During the Malibu Stakes, Brilliantly led early but faded in the stretch to place fourth, eight lengths behind her stablemate Usha. For La Cañada, the 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo will wear blinkers again for her first two-turn dirt race; she wore them in her initial starts, including her turf win.
So There She Was had a slow beginning in the Malibu, gradually advancing through the backstretch and turn, but lost momentum late to finish sixth in a field of ten.
So There She Was has managed to take the lead near the second turn in both previous races. O’Neill anticipates a similar pattern from the filly this Saturday.
“She’s a big filly, so the start can be challenging, but with two turns, her usual break should give her a better position,” explained O’Neill.
Emisael Jaramillo will pilot So There She Was for the first time at La Cañada, replacing Mirko DeMuro who rode her at Malibu.
The La Cañada Stakes is scheduled as the eighth race at 4:04 p.m. PT, with post positions and jockey assignments as follows: Thiago Pereira on Ooty (8-1); Hector Berrios on The Fugitive (12-1); Emisael Jaramillo on So There She Was (9-5); Juan Hernandez, boasting 7 wins and 5 losses, on Amazing; Kazushi Kimura on Nafisa (5-1); and Abel Rescano aboard Jane Austen (6-1).
This story originally appeared in the News section of the Paulick Report on January 23, 2026. Click here to set Paulick Report as your preferred news source.
Fan Take: This race highlights the intriguing competition between turf and dirt specialists stepping out of their comfort zones, making it a pivotal test for both horses and trainers. For horse racing enthusiasts, La Cañada offers a thrilling glimpse into how these mares adapt, potentially shaping future breeding and racing strategies at the highest levels.
