Los Alamitos: Chismosa, Elm Drive lead Great Lady M nominations

Chismosa and Elm Drive, who finished 2-3 behind the Bob Baffert-trained Eda in the Great Lady M Stakes in 2023, are among 20 nominees to the 2024 renewal.

The Grade 2, $200,000 Great Lady M, a filly and mare race at 6 1/2 furlongs on dirt, will be run for the 11th time at Los Alamitos Saturday, July 6, the next-to-last day of the Los Angeles County Fair meet.

Owned by breeder Jaime Renella and trained by Rafael DeLeon, Chismosa, a 4-year-old Clubhouse Ride filly, was beaten by a neck at 19-1 odds a year ago. Now 18: 5-3-4 with earnings of $501,750, the California-bred enters the Great Lady M off a win, rallying to capture the Desert Stormer June 2 at Santa Anita.

Owned by Little Red Feather Racing and trained by Phil D’Amato, Elm Drive has been third in the Great Lady M. in consecutive years. She was defeated by a half-length in 2023 after finishing 3 1/2 lengths behind winner Becca Taylor a year earlier.

A 5-year-old Mohaymen mare, Elm Drive is 18: 5-2-4 with earnings of $575,745.

D’Amato nominated three other talented ladies to the Great Lady M: Connie Swingle, Sun of Hill and Super Shine.

Baffert, who has won the Great Lady M five times since 2015, nominated Richi, a Chile-bred who was second in the Desert Stormer in her U.S. debut. The daughter of Practical Joke has won six of 10 and has been worse than second only once.

Besides Eda, the Hall of Famer has also scored in the last 10 years with Fantastic Style (2015), Marley’s Freedom (2018-2019) and Gamine (2021).

The other nominees, in alphabetical order, are Anywho, Big Celebration, Court Snort, Daddysruby, Fast Giselle, Fayette Fox, Getthemoney, Irish Wahine, Olivia Twist, Report, Sweet Azteca, Three Witches, Tom’s Regret and Yuki.

Entries for the Great Lady M Stakes will be taken Wednesday, July 3.