Thursday's scratching of Spendthrift Farm's Beholder (Henny Hughes) has deprived Saturday's GI Vanity S. of a good deal of it intrigue, and it should leave Cal-bred Warren's Veneda (Affirmative) as a prohibitively strong favorite for a second consecutive Grade I victory and fourth win overall.
Winner of the 2013 Cat's Cradle H. at Hollywood Park, the homebred went on a nine-race skid before snapping that dubious streak with a 5 1/2-length score in the Jan. 11 Paseana S. over a wet-fast strip. An easy winner of the GII Santa Maria S. Feb. 11, she ran her streak to three straight with a comprehensive 7 1/4-length tally over recent GI Humana Distaff S. victress Dame Dorothy (Bernardini) in the GI Santa Margarita S. Mar. 14.
My Sweet Addiction (Tiznow), a daughter of 2006 Vanity runner-up Healthy Addiction (Boston Harbor), looks the best candidate to round out a very chalky exacta. Eased home last of all in the seven-furlong GII Santa Monica S. Jan. 19, the Ziebarth homebred stretched out to the mile for the first time to be third in a Feb. 20 allowance and cleared that hurdle in virtual gate-to-wire fashion in her last start Mar. 20.
Gas Total (Brz) (Sulamani {Ire}), Group 1-placed on the turf in her native country, has some Brazilian dirt form to recommend her as well and exits a half-length success in her stateside debut on the grass Mar. 29.
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