Familiar Faces Clash in Buena Vista

A compact field of six older fillies and mares, many of whom have plenty of previous experience competing against one another, is set to do battle in this afternoon’s GII Buena Vista S. at Santa Anita. Hernandez Racing Club’s La Tia (City Place) has been in front at the first call in nearly all of her 23 career starts and figures to be in that position again today with no other confirmed front-runners entered. Winner of the GIII Arlington Matron S. and the Ontario Matron S. on the Polytrack earlier in 2014, the dark bay transitioned back to the turf to run fourth in the GI Beverly D. S. at Arlington Aug. 16. Third in the GII Canadian S. at Woodbine Sept. 14, the well-traveled Illinois-bred closed out her seasonal campaign with wins in the the GIII Athenia S. over 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Oct. 12 and the GI Matriarch S. going one mile at Del Mar Nov. 30. She has been installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite for this first run over the local lawn. Leidel & Bolton’s Annecdote (GB) (Lucky Story) joins La Tia in the starting gate for her first start since finishing fifth behind that rival as the even-money favorite in the Athenia. A Group 3 winner in England in 2013, Annecdote won her initial American start, the GIII Noble Damsel S., at Belmont Sept. 13 for trainer Christophe Clement.  “TDN Rising Star”  Nashoba’s Gold (Smart Strike) will make her second start off a layoff this afternoon for owner Warren B Williamson and trainer Carla Gaines. A half-sister to MGISW Nashoba’s Key (Silver Hawk), the grey earned a pair of graded stakes victories here last year in the GIII Providencia S. Apr. 5 and the GII Honeymoon S. May 4. Put on the shelf for over seven months following a fifth-place finish in the GI American Oaks May 31, the homebred returned to be ninth as the favorite in the Megahertz S. here Jan. 17. Blingismything (Arch) and Winning Rhythm (Giant’s Causeway) checked in second and fourth in that event, respectively, and meet in the starting gate once more today. Completing the compact field is Glen Hill Farm’s Diversy Harbor (Curlin), who has made six consecutive appearances in graded stakes company after starting out her career with a pair of victories over this turf course. The bay was bested by Nashoba’s Gold in the Providencia and the Honeymoon last spring, but turned the tables on that foe with a runner-up effort in the American Oaks. The 4-year-old cuts back in distance today after running second by a nose last out in the GIII Robert J. Frankel S. over nine furlongs here Dec. 27.