Accuracy to Make Stakes Debut in La Brea

[Wandering Eyes]

Repole Stable's Accuracy (Arrogate), who romped to a 15-length maiden score at Santa Anita Oct. 19 and added a 7 1/4-length optional claimer win at Del Mar Nov. 29, will tackle stakes company for the first time in Thursday's GI La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita. The chestnut filly's back-to-back wins came at 1 1/16 miles and one mile and she cuts back to seven furlongs for the La Brea, where she is the 5-1 third choice on the morning line and will break from post two under Umberto Rispoli.

“She's had two very good races back-to-back,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “Cutting back to seven-eighths is maybe a little bit of a question mark. She's also drawn inside with speed all around her. Hopefully she'll bounce away from there and Umberto does what he sees fit.”

Of the decision to target the La Brea, McCarthy said, “It's a Grade I and straight 3-year-olds. It's something where you have to give her a shot.”

McCarthy will also saddle Sandy Bottom (Omaha Beach) in the La Brea. The bay filly, unbeaten in three starts, won on debut at Del Mar last September and added the Anoakia Stakes that October. She returned from a year on the sidelines to just hold off Grade I winner Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) in a six-furlong optional claimer at Del Mar Nov. 15.

“I was expecting that,” McCarthy said of Sandy Bottom's comeback effort. “I've always expected a lot of her.”

Sandy Bottom is 20-1 on the morning line in the La Brea.

“It seems like she bounced out of her comeback really well,” McCarthy said. “The seven-eighths will be a little bit of a question mark with her as well. But she's got a favorable post position and we'll leave it up to Luis [Saez] tactically. She's a very fast filly in her own right.”

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