By J.N. Campbell
Some trivia for you equine enthusiasts out there. Who is the only horse to have two graded stakes named after them?
The answer is Bayakoa (Arg).
The Ron McAnally trainee who won a pair of GI Breeders' Cup Distaffs has one at Oaklawn, while its counterpart takes place this Friday at Los Alamitos Racecourse.
The Grade III event out West pits morning-line favorite and Arizona-bred Desert Dawn (Cupid) versus six others going 1 1/16 miles. The 4-year-old filly trained by Phil D'Amato is loaded with class, even though she has not won since the GII Santa Anita Oaks over a year and a half ago.
Still, her speed figures put her at the top of this group as she cuts back after running fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff last month at Santa Anita.
Midnight Memories (Mastery) was third last out in the GI Beholder Mile in March at Santa Anita, one spot ahead of Desert Dawn. Clocking some awfully fast times for trainer Bob Baffert these past few months, the dark bay could be fresh and ready to fire.
One entry who could play spoiler is the other half of D'Amato's uncoupled entry, Turnerloose (Nyquist). As a 3-year-old she won the GII Rachel Alexandra S. at 18-1, switched to turf and now has the chance to get back on the dirt.
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