GRADED WINNER CHISMOSA CARRIES HIGHWEIGHT IN FIELD OF 12 SET FOR SATURDAY’S $100,000 CALIFORNIA DISTAFF HANDICAP

GRADED WINNER CHISMOSA CARRIES HIGHWEIGHT IN FIELD OF 12 SET FOR SATURDAY’S $100,000 CALIFORNIA DISTAFF HANDICAP AT ABOUT 6 ½ FURLONGS ON SANTA ANITA’S HILLSIDE TURF COURSE

ARCADIA, CA (Oct. 9, 2024)—Graded stakes winner Chismosa is the 125-pound highweight in a competitive field of 12 entered in Saturday’s $100,000 California Distaff Handicap going about 6 ½ furlongs on Santa Anita’s unique hillside turf course. The California Distaff is part of the lucrative Golden State series for California-bred or California-sired horses.

Trained by Rafael DeLeon, Chismosa is back in with statebreds and returns to turf following a second-place finish to Grade I winner Sweet Azteca in the GIII Rancho Bernardo sprinting 6 ½ furlongs on dirt at Del Mar Aug. 25. While the class of the field, Chismosa—winner of the GIII Las Flores sprinting on dirt earlier this year at Santa Anita—is 0-for-6 on the hillside turf course.

A 4-year-old filly by Clubhouse Ride, Chismosa is a homebred for owner Jaime R. Renella. She enters with a record of 20: 5-4-4 with $522,250 in earnings. Jockey Tiago Pereira, who has been aboard for her three previous starts, retains the mount.

Multiple stakes-winner Grand Slam Smile, a 3-year-old, faces older for the first time. While she’s never tested the hillside turf course, the Smiling Tiger filly won the California Cup Oaks going a mile on grass in January at Santa Anita for trainer Steve Specht.

Most recently, Grand Slam Smile tested open company in the GIII Torrey Pines for 3-year-olds at a mile on dirt and finished third behind well-regarded Hope Road and GII Santa Anita Oaks winner Nothing Like You. She is 9: 5-3-1 with $451,400 in earnings for owners-breeders Larry D. Williams and Marianne Williams. With regular rider Frank Alvarado in the irons, Grand Slam Smile will carry 120 pounds.

Rose Maddox rallied to win last year’s California Distaff by two lengths for trainer Steve Miyadi and owner-breeder Nick Alexander. Her most recent win was on the hillside turf in January in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint. In six subsequent starts, Rose Maddox has been relegated to mostly minor awards, which includes a second in the Solana Beach for statebreds at a mile on turf at Del Mar Aug. 18.

Rose Maddox, who has lured the services of top rider Juan Hernandez, will carry 123 pounds. The 5-year-old mare by Grazen is 26: 7-9-2 with $565,264 in earnings.

Multiple stakes winner Stay and Scam has a record of 4: 2-1-1 sprinting on the hillside turf course, which includes a win in the Irish O’Brien Stakes in March. Trained by Doug O’Neill, Stay and Scam most recently finished behind Rose Maddox when fifth in the one-mile Solana Beach. The 4-year-old Square Eddie filly, who races as a homebred for Reddam Racing, is 15: 6-3-3 with $404,360 in earnings. She will be ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli.

THE CALIFORNIA DISTAFF HANDICAP WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 9 - Approximate post time 5 P.M. PT

1. Back On Track - Ricardo Gonzalez - 114
2. Rebalation - Kyle Frey - 119
3. Prancingthruparis - Mike Smith - 117
4. Rose Maddox - Juan Hernandez - 123
5. Diamond Bar Gal - Armando Ayuso - 116
6. Andiamo Ragazza - Tyler Baze - 116
7. Stay and Scam - Umberto Rispoli - 124
8. Chismosa - Tiago Pereira - 125
9. Sassy Nature - Edwin Maldonado - 122
10. Grand Slam Smile - Frank Alvarado - 120
11. Big Summer - Hector Berrios - 123
12. Shamrockin - Abel Cedillo - 117

First post time Saturday is 1 p.m. PT. Admission gates will open at 11 a.m.