SANTA ANITA : Brought to Mind Brings Win Streak to Stakes Race

Brought to Mind, who capped a three-race winning streak in the La Brea Stakes two weeks ago, tops a field of seven 4-year-old fillies in the $100,000-added El Encino Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita Park.

La Brea runner-up A Wild Ride, recent Eastern invader Spanish Dior and overnight stakes winner Dead Heat are among the rivals in the 1 1/16-mile event, second leg of the La Canada Series. The series began with the 7-furlong La Brea and ends with the 1 1/8-mile La Canada Stakes on Jan. 26.

Brought to Mind began her current victory streak with an allowance win on the grass at the autumn Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita, then prevailed over tougher company at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt at Hollywood Park. She easily proved best in the La Brea, breezing home 5 1/2 lengths ahead of A Wild Ride.

A Wild Ride skipped the Hollywood fall meeting after winning the Linda Vista Handicap at 11/16 miles at Oak Tree. She won the Princess at the Hollywood Park summer meet.

With seven runners, the El Encino purse will total $108,500, netting the winner $63,500.

The full field, from the rail, has Somethingmerry, Laffit Pincay, Jr., in the irons, assigned 114 pounds; A Wild Ride, Chris McCarron, 122; Dead Heat, Jose Santos, 117; Spanish Dior, Kent Desormeaux, 114; Brought to Mind, Alex Solis, 119; Highland Tide, Julio Garcia, 114; and Chandelier, Gary Stevens, 117.

Spanish Dior won two allowance tests at Laurel in November, then came west with trainer Joe Devereux. In her first try in California, she took on older distaffers in the Silver Belles Handicap, set the pace and battled Fantastic Look through the stretch before giving way by a neck.