Postponed stakes are on at Santa Anita

With warm weather expected Saturday, Santa Anita officials can breathe a sigh of relief when three graded stakes that were canceled last week because of rain and poor track conditions finally take place, along with the 2010 debut of Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic champion Life Is Sweet in the Grade II, $250,000 Santa Maria Handicap.

It’s a 10-race program Saturday, featuring the Grade I, $250,000 Las Virgenes Stakes and 3-year-old filly Blind Luck in the fourth race; the Grade II, $150,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes and Kentucky Derby hopeful American Lion in the sixth race; Life Is Sweet taking on eight challengers in the eighth race; and the Grade II, $200,000 Strub Stakes with favored Misremembered in the ninth race.

Eclipse Award-winning jockey Julien Leparoux is in town to ride American Lion, which is owned by WinStar Farms and triumphed in the Grade III Hollywood Prevue Stakes at seven furlongs on Nov. 21.

“He’s been a standout from the very beginning because he’s very imposing physically,” said co-owner Bill Casner of the 3-year-old son of 2000 Horse of the Year Tiznow.

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