2022 TVG La Brea Stakes Betting Odds and Contenders Preview
The La Brea Stakes (G1) is on Monday, December 26 at Santa Anita. The race drew a field of eight, four of whom are already graded winners and four who seek those honors for the first time in their career.
The 2022 La Brea Stakes is scheduled for Wednesday, December 21. FanDuel TV gives you up-to-the-minute updates on race day odds and the latest news about horses as race time approaches. The more information you have, the better decisions you can make about who to bet and what odds to take on.
The La Brea Stakes is the final race of the year for three-year-olds. Midnight Memories has not raced since her 3 ¼-length victory over Awake at Midnyte in the Zenyatta (G2). Under the Stars came out of graded company against older and ran second to champion Ce Ce in Chillingworth ( G2) last October. Hot Peppers came from graded and last out, but hasn't faced older.
Under the Stars is one of four entrants for trainer Bob Baffert. She won the Santa Ynez and finished second behind Ce Ce at Santa Anita last time.
Hot Peppers has rested since a disappointing fourth as the favorite in the Prioress in September. Hot Pepper has not yet traveled west, but trainer Rudy Rodriguez does well with his shippers. Ganadora has raced just four times and she was well beaten in her only graded outing. John Velazquez will replace Juan Hernandez as a rider for this race.
Midnight Memories has been consistent, winning four of her five starts. She is already a graded winner against older company. Her last start she won the Zenyatta (G2) at Santa Anita.
Ain't Easy is a Phil D'Amato trainee who won both of her races last year. She has finished no better than third in five starts at age three.
Fun to Dream is a California-bred Bob Baffert trainee. She has won four of her five races. The only loss came in an open first-level allowance in September.
Kirstenbosch has been a solid second-tier California horse this year. She won a maiden special on the grass and a first-level allowance on dirt at Del Mar. Her only one-turn try came at this course and distance back in May, when she finished second in the Angel’s Flight.
Awake at Midnyte has been plucky in stakes company at ages 2 and 3. She has won a first-level allowance going 6 ½ furlongs in September. Awake was second to Under the Stars in the Santa Ynez this year.
In the last ten years, La Brea Stakes winners have come out of seven different stakes races. Four of the past ten winners won their last race before the LaBrea. Seven of last 10 winners of La brea won it as their first graded stakes victory. Unique Bella won the race after finishing seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in 2017. Fair Maiden won after coming fourth in a three-year-old fillies” sprint stakes on the undercard of Breeder's Cup.
The La Brea Stakes is the eighth of ten races on the Santa Anita Saturday card. It is one of six graded races. The other races are the Malibu (G1), American Oaks ( G1) San Antonio (g2), San Gabriel ( g2) and Mathis Mile (geared to G2).
The present Santa Anita Park opened on Christmas Day in 1934. The main track is a one-mile dirt oval and the turf track inside of it is 0.9-miles grass oval. A unique feature of the dirt track downhill course is the downhill turn.
The La Brea Stakes takes place on Monday, December 26 at 2:30 p.m. Pacific time at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Midnight Memories, trained by Bob Baffert, is the 5-2 morning line favorite for the LaBrea. Bafert has won the race eight times during his career. He most recently won it in 2021 with Kalypso.
