ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 8, 2015)—Tiz Midnight and Warren’s Veneda, who were separated by just a head when last they met, head a field of eight older fillies and mares in Sunday’s $75,000, 1 1/16 miles Paseana Stakes at Santa Anita.  Trained by Bob Baffert, Tiz Midnight pressed the pace and registered a game victory over Warren’s Veneda in the Grade II, 1 1/16 miles Bayakoa Stakes on Dec. 6 at Los Alamitos.


            A 5-year-old mare by Midnight Lute, Tiz Midnight had a three-race win streak snapped in the  Grade I, 1 1/16 miles Zenyatta Stakes three starts back on Sept. 27.  Sent to the early lead, she was beaten three quarters of a length by multiple Eclipse Champ Beholder.  Bred in Kentucky by Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, she’s owned by Watson, Weitman and Mike Pegram.  She has earnings of $334,720 from and overall mark of 9-4-3-1.

            Trained by Craig Lewis, California-bred Warren’s Veneda followed up a solid third place finish in the seven furlong Betty Grable Stakes on Nov. 9 at Del Mar with her best career effort in the Bayakoa.  She has a second and a third at a mile and a sixteenth and would appear best suited if she’s able to settle off the pace and attack fast fractions.

            Owned and bred by Benjamin C. Warren, Warren’s Veneda, a 5-year-old chestnut mare by Affirmative, has an overall mark of 19-5-3-5, with earnings of $407,012.

        Pamela Ziebarth’s homebred My Sweet Addiction is an up and coming daughter of Tiznow who will try two turns for the first time in the Paseana.  A sharp second, beaten a head, in a seven furlong allowance on Oct. 13, My Sweet Addiction figures to be forwardly placed under regular rider Mike Smith.

            Trained by Marty Jones at Los Alamitos, the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare has been consistent in six career sprints, with two wins, two seconds and two thirds to her credit.  Out of the Boston Harbor mare Healthy Addiction, she has earnings of $104,656.

            Idle since distanced in the Zia Park Oaks on Nov. 26, Jerry Hollendorfer’s Taste Like Candy was second in the Grade I, 1 1/16 miles Hollywood Starlet in her second career start and does her best running when on or near the lead.  A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Candy Ride, she’s owned by Bad Boy Racing, LLC and Whizway Farms.  She’s 10-2-4-1 overall with earnings of $254,670.

            Beaten 80 ¾ lengths in her last two starts, Eblouissante, a once-promising full sister to Zenyatta, has been idle since finishing last in a 1 1/16 miles turf allowance at Del Mar on Aug. 24.  Lightly raced, the 6-year-old mare by Bernardini won her first two starts at age three and will try to re-start her career Sunday with Gary Stevens engaged to ride.  Trained by John Shirreffs, Eblouissante is owned by St. George Farm Racing, LLC.

            The complete field for the Paseana, to be run as the seventh race on a nine-race card Sunday, with jockeys and weights in post position order:  Legacy, Edwin Maldonado, 121; Valiant Emilia, Rafael Bejarano, 121; Zilber, Tiago Pereira, 123; Tiz Midnight, Victor Espinoza, 123; Warren’s Veneda, Tyler Baze, 121; My Sweet Addiction, Mike Smith, 117; Eblouissante, Gary Stevens, 117, and Taste Like Candy, Kent Desormeaux, 117.

            First post time on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m.  Admission gates open at 10:30 a.m.