The 53rd running of the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes for older fillies and mares is set for Sunday, Jan. 11 at Santa Anita Park. The $100,000 sprint held at about 6 ½ furlongs on the iconic downhill turf course drew a field of nine entrants. The lineup features a distinct international presence with runners bred in South Africa, Peru, France, Brazil, and the United States, adding depth to an already intriguing field. Below is a look at the field from the rail out:
Queen Maxima will be making her 5-year-old debut following a stellar 4-year-old campaign with five wins from seven starts, including four stakes victories. Juan Hernandez, who has six career wins aboard Queen Maxima, retains the mount for trainer Jeff Mullins. South African-bred Egyptian Mau will be making her fourth start in North America fresh off a sharp win at the allowance-optional claiming level last time out going this same distance on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita. Mike Smith, who has been aboard her last two outings, remains in the saddle for trainer Neil Drysdale. Princesa Moche, bred in Peru, makes her fifth start in the U.S. for trainer Doug O’Neill. The 6-year-old Muwaary mare enters off back-to-back allowance-optional claiming wins under Mirco Demuro, who retains the mount. Spicybug exits an unplaced finish in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 30 and looks to secure her first stakes victory for trainer Michael McCarthy. Ricardo Gonzalez will be aboard for the fourth consecutive time. Brazilian-bred Omnipontet was imported to North America and joined the Phil D’Amato barn in 2024; she has made six starts on the Southern California circuit since and will be making her third consecutive stakes appearance. Miss Lizzy, Doug O’Neill’s second of two entrants, is a career 6-for-7 in the money at this about 6 ½-furlong distance on the downhill turf at Santa Anita and will get a rider switch to Emisael Jaramillo. Rosie Jeeks makes her first start in the Neil Drysdale barn as his second of two entrants. Previously trained by Chad Brown, Rosie Jeeks has not raced since a win in the Goldwood Stakes at Monmouth Park on June 21, 2025. Nay V Belle has earned four consecutive triple-digit Equibase Speed Figures going into this race and ranks second in the field by late pace with a 115.0 rating. Umberto Rispoli will be aboard for trainer Mark Glatt. French-bred Antifona drew the far outside post in the nine-horse field for her second start after being claimed for $80,000 in August 2024 by trainer Vladimir Cerin for owners Holly and David Wilson.
Analysis and Main Contenders:
Queen Maxima leads the field in just about every category, ranking first in early, middle, and late pace ratings as well as average speed with a 104 Equibase Speed Figure. As a 3-year-old, Queen Maxima started her career with two wins from five starts, but she truly blossomed in her 4-year-old campaign. In 2025, she went 5-for-7 with four stakes wins. Queen Maxima started off the year winning an allowance-optional claimer at Santa Anita at this same distance on the downhill turf over fellow Las Cienegas entrant Egyptian Mau, who subsequently ran second by a neck before posting a win last time out. Queen Maxima followed the January win with three straight stakes victories, including the Grade 3 Monrovia Stakes Presented by Don Julio at Santa Anita and the Grade 3 Unbridled Sidney Stakes Presented by Cygames at Churchill Downs, by a combined margin of 11 ¼ lengths for her three stakes scores. She returned home to California for a bid in the one-mile Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar in July and finished sixth, beaten by 2 ¾ lengths, however she historically has not been successful at route races. In August, despite finishing sixth, she ran her best Equibase Speed Figure, a 114, in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap against older males going five furlongs on the turf. This was an impressive run considering she finished just two lengths behind the winner after a troubled start and the second-, fourth-, and eighth-place finishers all came back to win their next start. Queen Maxima returned to winning form last time out in the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes for fillies and mares with a one-length victory, earning a 109 speed figure in the five-furlong turf sprint. This Bucchero mare checks all the boxes and should sit just behind the pace and pounce approaching the stretch. Despite her extreme favoritism, Queen Maxima poses as a solid single in exotics as well as a key for trifecta wagers to create some more value in the race.
Egyptian Mau is an intriguing 6-year-old racemare after showing improvement in each of her three North American starts since making her stateside debut in January 2025. Before coming to the U.S., the South African-bred finished behind Gimme a Nother in three consecutive group stakes races at Turffontein. That form has proven legitimate, as Gimme a Nother also came to the U.S. in 2025 and recorded three Grade 2 runner-up finishes before winning the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar in September. In her North American debut, Egyptian Mau finished third to Queen Maxima at odds of 31.40-1. She next took a major step forward, jumping from a 90 Equibase Speed Figure to a 104 while closing from ninth at the third point of call to finish second by a neck going five furlongs after a slow break. Last time out, she stretched back to the about 6 ½ furlongs down the Santa Anita hillside course and again overcame a sluggish start before sweeping wide and mowing down her rivals at the allowance-optional claiming level. This mare figures to settle well off the pace and launch her run in tandem, or just after, Queen Maxima. She has proved she can handle the distance and overcome adversity, and she has steadily improved with each U.S. start. Egyptian Mau poses as a dangerous late threat and appears to be a legitimate contender to complete the exacta.
With no clear speed presence, Peruvian bred Princesa Moche has a solid opportunity to be on or near the lead. Princesa Moche posted three consecutive wins at Hipodromo de Monterrico in Peru by a combined margin of 10 lengths prior to shipping to California for her U.S. debut in August. She finished seventh and sixth, respectively, in her first two starts in North America but has steadily improved since, winning her last two starts with triple-digit Equibase Speed Figures. Her first win in the states came on Oct. 26 on the 6 ½-furlong downhill turf course at Santa Anita, winning by a head at odds of 17.30-1 with Mirco Demuro riding for the first time. Princesa Moche stretched out to a mile on the turf last time out at Del Mar in early November and improved to a 108 speed figure for her 1 ½-length victory under Demuro in an allowance-optional claiming race, again at a hefty price of 19.40-1. Demuro will be back aboard, which is a significant positive considering the tandem is undefeated together. Princesa Moche is a proven winner at this distance and has a near-perfect scenario to steal this race on the front end or at least deliver a strong in-the-money performance.
The rest of the field (with best Equibase Speed Figure in a similar race): Spicybug (103), Omnipontet (107), Miss Lizzy (102), Rosie Jeeks (101), Nay V Belle (108), and Antifona (97).
Win Contenders in Preference Order:
Queen Maxima
Egyptian Mau
Princesa Moche
