La Canada Stakes Betting Guide

The G2 La Canada Stakes is one of the first big graded races of the calendar year. It takes place annually in February, with the 2022 race set to take place on the second week of the month. Below we will go through all the information for the race and examine the trends that could help identify the winner.

La Canada Stakes Event Details

The La Canada Stakes is a Grade 2 affair and takes place annually in February. Fillies and mares that are four are able to enter, and it is an important race for runners that are looking to step up in trip. The La Canada Stakes is the third and final race of the series and takes place at Santa Anita Park. It is run over 1/1 miles.

La Canada Stakes Preview

The horses that will be lining up for the La Canada Stakes will not be revealed until later in the year. However, we can examine the previous winners of the race to help find the trends that could make for a winning selection in 2022.

• Sanenus (2021)

• Queen Bee To You (2020)

• Escape Clause (2019)

• Mopotism (2018)

• Vale Dori (2017)

The most recent winner of the La Canada Stakes was Sanenus for trainer Michael McCarthy. She was bred in Chile and is one of two foreign-bred winners to win this race in the past five renewals. The other foreign-bred winner was Vale Dori in 2017. Before winning the La Canada Stakes in 2021, Sanenus had lined up for a race in the United States on just one occasion. On her first start in the States, she was a respectable second in the G3 Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs. Meanwhile, her win in the La Canada Stakes remains just one of two career wins that she has recorded in eight starts.

Queen Bee To You enjoyed more success on the track before winning the La Canada Stakes, as she won the G3 Bayakoa Stakes at Los Alamitos. She was narrow in her margin of victory in the La Canada Stakes, as she managed to win by just a nose from Der Lu in 2019.

Escape Clause ran in the La Canada Stakes after competing in a number of graded races. Her first graded run came in the G3 Red Carpet Handicap, as she finished back in third, a length behind India Mountain. That run over a mile and three furlongs was followed up with a fourth-place finish in the G3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes at Santa Anita. Her experience at the track was a decisive factor when she returned to Santa Anita for the La Canada Stakes a month later, as she won the Grade 2 by five and a half lengths from Marley’s Freedom.

Bob Baffert has an excellent record in the La Canada Stakes. His third and most recent win came in 2017 with Argentinean-bred Vale Dori. Mike Smith rode the winner to glory, as she won her second straight Graded race. Her first victory came in the G2 Bayakoa Handicap. Ahead of her run in the La Canada Stakes, she had also won the Tranquillity Lake Stakes and finished fourth in the G2 UAE Derby.

La Canada Stakes Event Information

The La Canada Stakes was introduced back in 1975 and is now an integral part of the La Canada Series. It is the third and final race of that series, as it follows the La Brea Stakes and G-II El Encino Stakes. Winning all three races is a challenging task, as only three fillies have achieved wins in all races. The most recent horse to achieve the feat was Got Koko in 2003.

Bob Baffert is tied for the most wins in this race, as he, D. Wayne Lukas, and John Shirreffs have all won on three previous occasions. Gary Stevens is the most successful jockey in the La Canada Stakes. The first of his five wins came in 1987, while his most recent win came in 2016 with Taris. Glorious Song and Safe Play hold the joint-best speed record, as they both won the race in a time of 1:47.60. Meanwhile, The Thoroughbred Corp and Eugene V. Klein have owned the most winners.

La Canada Stakes Betting Information

The La Canada Stakes is one of the most interesting early-season betting races in the United States. Many of the leading sportsbooks will offer a number of interesting betting markets for customers. You can learn more about the markets that you can make wagers on below:

• Win: Gamblers can place a wager on a selection to win the La Canada Stakes. Returns will be awarded if your selection wins the race.

• Place: Place betting is also popular when it comes to the La Canada Stakes. Selections must be made on a horse that will finish first or second.

• Exacta: Bets can be placed on the horses that will finish the La Canada Stakes in first and second. Selections must be precise to get returns on this market.