Contact: Victor Ryan; Victor.Ryan@santaanita.com SantaAnitaPressBox@santaanita.com

ISCREAMUSCREAM BENOIT PHOTO

UNBEATEN GRADE I WINNER ISCREAMUSCREAM TAKES ON OLDER HORSES IN SATURDAY’S GII, $200,000 RODEO DRIVE STAKES AT SANTA ANITA

The 1 1 ¼-mile turf test for fillies and mares is a “Win and You’re In” for next month’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf

ARCADIA, CA (Oct. 2, 2024)—Sophomore Iscreamuscream, a perfect 4-for-4 with a Grade I win for trainer Phil D’Amato, will put her perfect record on the line when she faces older horses for the first time in Saturday’s GII, $200,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita. The Rodeo Drive stakes is one of five stakes on Santa Anita’s Oak Tree Day. The 1 ¼-mile turf test for fillies and mares is a “Win and You’re In” for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar Nov. 2.

Iscreamuscream most recently won the GI Del Mar Oaks going 1 1/8 miles on turf Aug. 17. Previously, she won the GII San Clemente in her stakes debut going a mile at Del Mar July 20. Both wins came under Hector Berrios, who will again be in the saddle Saturday.

By Twirling Candy, Iscreamuscream was purchased by co-owner Agave Racing Stables for $330,000 at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Midsummer Flash Sale. She won her debut last October at Santa Anita, then returned in June at Santa Anita to win a six-furlong allowance on turf prior to her pair of graded stakes wins. Agave Racing co-owns the filly with Little Red Feather Racing, Marsha Naify et al.

D’Amato also entered older stakes winners Hang the Moon and Lucky Girl, who most recently finished one-two in the GII John C. Mabee Sept. 7 at Del Mar.

In the 1 1/8-mile Mabee, Hang the Moon edged Lucky Girl by a half-length under Kazushi Kimura. It was her first stakes win and upped her record to 11: 4-1-1 with $307,913 in earnings for owner CJ Thoroughbreds.

A 4-year-old Uncle Mo filly, Hang the Moon made her first eight starts outside of California while trained by Michael Stidham. She had her local unveiling in June when winning a second-level allowance going a mile on turf at Santa Anita. Kimura, who rode Hang the Moon for the first time in the Mabee, has the call again on Saturday.

Lucky Girl swung six-wide into the stretch in the Mabee and rallied to be a good second ahead of race favorite and Grade I winner Anisette, who was third. The 5-year-old mare by Exceed and Excel has a record of 20: 3-1-1 with $264,863 in earnings. She won the 2022 China Doll Stakes at Santa Anita as a 3-year-old while trained by Richard Baltas, then won her only other stakes last year in the Swingtime at Santa Anita while trained by George Papaprodomou. Owned by Kia-Ora Stud Australia, Lucky Girl will be ridden by Tyler Baze.

There are also a trio of eastern invaders in the lineup: Aspen Grove for trainer Jack Sisterson, Beach Bomb for trainer Graham Motion and Be Your Best for trainer Horacio De Paz.

Aspen Grove exits a second-level allowance win going 1 3/8 miles at Saratoga Aug. 8. Previously, the 4-year-old filly by Justify was seventh in the GI New York at Saratoga in June, third in the GIII Modesty at Churchill Downs in May and second in the GII Hillsborough at Tampa Bay Downs in March.

Aspen Grove, who is owned by breeder Glen Hill Farm and Mrs. John Magnier, has a record of 13: 3-1-2 with $482,403 in earnings. She made her first six starts in her native Ireland before coming to the U.S. in the middle of last year. Aspen Grove will be ridden by Juan Hernandez for the first time.

Beach Bomb was bred in South Africa where she was a Group I winner before coming to the U.S. earlier this year. A 4-year-old filly by the War Front stallion Lancaster Bomber, Beach Bomb has made one start in the U.S. On Aug. 31, she finished second in the Violet Stakes going 1 1/16 miles on turf at Monmouth Park. Owned by Cayton Park Stud, she will be ridden by Antonio Fresu.

Be Your Best seeks her first stakes win since the listed P.G. Johnson Stakes as a 2-year-old at Saratoga in 2022. Most recently, she finished third in 1 3/8-mile turf allowance at Saratoga. Owned by Michael J. Ryan, the 4-year-old filly by Muhaarar is 14: 2-3-2 with $372,859 in earnings. She will be ridden by Kyle Frey.

THE GII RODEO DRIVE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 10 - Approximate post time 4:30p.m. PT

1. Lucky Girl – Tyler Baze – 122
2. Sunset Glory – Umberto Rispoli – 122
3. Be Your Best – Kyle Frey – 122
4. Iscreamuscream – Hector Berrios – 122
5. Beach Bomb – Antonio Fresu – 124
6. Hang the Moon – Kazushi Kimura – 126
7. Aspen Grove – Juan Hernandez – 122

First post time for a 10-race card, on Oak Tree Day at Santa Anita is 1p.m. PT, admission gates open at 11 a.m.