'Bird' Back to Two Turns

Birdatthewire (Summer Bird), fresh off a route-to-sprint upset of the GI La Brea S. Dec. 26 while in the care of Dale Romans, will look to stretch back out in Saturday's GII La Canada S. back at Santa Anita. The Forum Racing IV colorbearer burst onto the scene with a visually impressive victory in last January's GII Forward Gal S. over seven panels at Gulfstream, and just missed in the one-mile GII Davona Dale S. in February before annexing the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 28. She went missing after a fifth-place run in the GI Kentucky Oaks May 1, and finished fifth and fourth respectively as the favorite in Churchill's GII Chilukki S. Nov. 7 and GII Fall City H. Nov. 26. The bay was transferred from Romans to trainer Tom Proctor since her last start. 'TDN Rising Star' Taris (Flatter) has also done some of her best work sprinting. The 2014 La Brea runner-up missed some time before annexing Del Mar's GIII Rancho Bernardo H. in August, and checked in third after an impossible trip in the GIII L.A. Woman S. here Oct. 4. Third in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint behind Eclipse finalists Wavell Avenue (Harlington) and La Verdad (Yes It's True) at Keeneland Oct. 31, she had no problem with a one-turn mile when taking Aqueduct's GIII Go For Wand H. Nov. 27. Yahilwa (Medaglia d'Oro) enjoyed a solid 5-year-old campaign last year. She annexed the GIII Sixty Sails H. at Hawthorne in April, and checked in second behind Beholder (Henny Hughes) in the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar. Aug. 1. The Jim Cassidy trainee nearly blew up the tote when third, beaten a neck at 20-1 in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. in Lexington Oct. 4, but faded to sixth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Oct. 30. Fellow 'Rising Star' Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song) was beaten just a nose by Stellar Wind (Curlin) in the track-and-trip GII Summer Oaks in June, and added a Del Mar optional claimer in August. Tenth of the GI Cotillion S. at Parx Sept. 19, she was fourth sprinting in the Kalookan Queen S. Dec. 30.