Mrs. Astor scoring the Red Carpet at Del Mar. (Benoit)
• Works: Tamara, Pilot Commander Drill For Opening Day GIs
• Opening Day: First Post Thursday Is 11 A.M For 11-Race Card
Stable Notes By Victor Ryan
Trainer Jonathan Thomas appears locked and loaded for next Friday’s feature at Santa Anita, the Grade III, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes for fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles on turf.
Thomas has three of the seven entered in the Frankel led by Mrs. Astor, who seeks consecutive graded stakes wins following her victory in the GIII Red Carpet going 1 3/8 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 24. Thomas also entered Mouffy, a Grade II winner in Canada who gets class relief following an off-the-board finish in the GI Matriarch at Del Mar; and 3-year-old Rashmi, who is also entered in the GI American Oaks a day earlier on opening day.
Mrs. Astor, Mouffy and Rashmi are all homebreds for George Strawbridge’s Augustin Stable.
Leading the charge to upend the Thomas/Strawbridge triumvirate is Hang the Moon, the 9-5 morning line favorite. Trained by Phil D’Amato, Hang the Moon most recently tried the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar and finished last of 12. Prior to the Breeders’ Cup, Hang the Moon won the GII Rodeo Drive at Santa Anita in October.
As for Mrs. Astor (9-2), she rallied to win the Red Carpet by one length under Vincent Cheminaud. She will have a new rider in the Frankel. Frankie Dettori takes over in the irons while Cheminaud stays aboard Mouffy, who he rode in the Matriarch.
Mrs. Astor, a homebred for George Strawbridge’s Augustin Stable, is 15: 3-4-3 with $292,235 in earnings. The Red Carpet was the first stakes win for the 4-year-old filly by Lookin at Lucky.
Mouffy (7-2) won the GII Dance Smartly at Woodbine in October before coming west. In two subsequent starts, the 5-year-old Uncle Mo mare was fourth in the GIII Goldikova and a no-threat seventh in the Matriarch, both at Del Mar. Mouffy has a record of 16: 6-4-0 with $500,693 in earnings.
Rashmi (4-1) most recently beat older when winning a one-mile allowance on turf at Del Mar Nov. 17. Hall of Famer jockey Joel Rosario is named to ride Rashmi in both the Frankel and American Oaks, where she is 12-1 on the morning and Frankel. If she goes in the 1 ¼-mile Oaks, it would be her first time facing straight 3-year-olds.
Hang the Moon sprung a 9-1 upset in the Rodeo Drive to earn an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Kazushi Kimura, who rode Hang the Moon in both the Rodeo Drive and Breeders’ Cup, retains the mount. A 4-year-old Uncle Mo filly, Hang the Moon is 13: 5-1-1 with $427,913 in earnings for owner C J Thoroughbreds.
The GIII Robert J. Frankel goes as the seventh race on a 10-race card set for next Friday. First post is at 12 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Mahina, Flavien Prat (8-1); Yerwanthere, Umberto Rispoli (6-1); Mrs. Astor, Frankie Dettori (9-2); Rashmi, Joel Rosario (4-1); Omaha Girl, Tyler Baze (15-1); Mouffy, Vincent Cheminaud (7-2); Hang the Moon, Kazushi Kimura (9-5).
WORKS: Tamara, Pilot Commander Drill For Opening Day Grade Is
Tamara in a Friday work at Santa Anita. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire).
Tamara, a top contender in opening day’s GI La Brea Stakes, and Pilot Commander, a leading principal in the GI Malibu, each worked Saturday towards their respective tilts next Thursday.
Tamara worked four furlongs in 48.40 seconds for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. In an ultra-competitive field of 11 entered in the seven-furlong La Brea, Hope Road for trainer Bob Baffert is a lukewarm 3-1 favorite on the morning line. Tamara, who will be making her second start following a 12 ½-month layoff, is listed as the 8-1 co-fourth choice.
Tamara returned from the sidelines Nov. 15 at Del Mar and was beaten just a nose when going six furlongs in a classified allowance. The winner that day, Sandy Bottom, is also entered in the La Brea and is 20-1 on the morning line.
Pilot Commander worked five furlongs in 1:01.60 for Baffert. The 3-year-old Justify colt, who exits a sharp allowance win at Del Mar Oct. 5, is 6-1 on the morning line for the seven-furlong Malibu. Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan is the Malibu’s 5-2 morning line favorite.
Also working for graded-stakes starts on opening day were Sakura Blossom (GI American Oaks), Watchtower (American Oaks) and Express Train (Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes).
Watchtower, trained by Richard Baltas, worked four furlongs in 48.40 seconds. Listed at 10-1 on the morning line for the 1 1/4-mile American Oaks, Watchtower will stretch out in distance after rallying to win the GIII Autumn Miss going a mile Oct. 27 at Santa Anita.
Sakura Blossom, trained by Leonard Powell, drilled four furlongs in 48.60 seconds. She is listed at 30-1 on the morning line. Sakura Blossom is back in California following a pair of off-the-board finishes in stakes events in Kentucky. The Classic Empire filly is seeking her first graded stakes win.
Express Train worked four furlongs in 48.60 seconds for trainer John Shirreffs. The 7-year-old Grade I winner is the 4-1 third choice on the morning line for the Pincay. Express Train has been off since July when finishing third in the GII San Diego Handicap.
In addition to the opening day stakes starters, there were several other notable workers on the tab.
Formidable Man, a winner of three straight stakes including the GI Hollywood Derby, worked an easy half mile in 51.80 seconds for trainer Michael McCarthy. It was his first work since the Hollywood Derby Nov. 30 at Del Mar. The City of Light colt previously won the GII Del Mar Derby and Oceanside Stakes, both at Del Mar.
Practical Dream, winner of last month’s Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar, worked four furlongs in 49.20 for trainer Tim Yakteen. It was her first work since finishing sixth in the GII Starlet at Los Alamitos Dec. 7.
An unnamed 2-year-old colt by Curlin out of Hall of Famer Beholder worked three furlongs in 36.0 seconds for trainer Bob Baffert and Zedan Racing. Last year, the colt sold for $4 million at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga select yearling sale. This was his third timed workout this month.
Graded stakes winner Balnikhov, most recently second in last month’s GII Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar, worked four furlongs in 48.20 seconds for trainer Phil D’Amato.
FINISH LINES … … ………..
Next Saturday’s card featuring the GII Joe Hernandez Stakes and Blue Norther Stakes will be drawn later today…
Assael Espinoza, a top jockey in Northern California, has moved south and will be represented by agent Brian Beach…
Also moving south are veteran jockeys Frank Alvarado and William Antongeorgi II. Both are represented by agent Chuck Costanzo…
Opening day general admission tickets can be purchased for $10 at Santaanita.com. Walk-up general admission will be $20. Members of Santa Anita’s 1/ST Rewards program can buy opening day tickets with their loyalty card for just $5 at the Infield Admission Gate…
First post on opening day is 11 a.m PT with admission gates set to open at 9 a.m.
