Turf the wild card for sharp Mr. N

Trainer Terry Eoff’s week in racing got off to a rousing start Monday when Terra’s Angel, a horse he owns, won a stakes at Del Mar. He could snag another by week’s end with Mr. N in Friday night’s $50,000 Remington Park Turf Sprint.

Mr. N could go favored in the five-furlong turf race for 3-year-olds and up bred in Oklahoma. He has three wins in his last four starts, and gets the services of the high-percentage rider Luis Quinonez. But the wild card is the surface, as Mr. N will be making just his second start on the grass, and his first on the surface for Eoff and owner Henry Witt Jr.

Mr. N was last of seven in a one-mile turf optional claimer at Lone Star on April 21 for former trainer Bret Calhoun.

“He’s by Mr. Nightlinger, and those horses seem to run well on the turf,” Eoff said. “We’re hoping he takes to it.”

Mr. N is coming off a clear win over optional $40,000 claiming rivals July 9 at Lone Star Park. He was making his third start for Eoff, after Witt claimed the horse in May.

“The last race he ran at Lone Star was just so impressive,” Eoff said. “I thought, ‘This guy can really scoot.’ ”

Eoff said Mr. N had been considered for a dirt allowance at Remington, but the decision was made to await the Oklahoma-bred spot on turf. Eoff had tried to get the horse on grass twice, but both times the race was rained off the turf and onto the main track.

Turf was no problem for Terra’s Angel, who won under Sasha Risenhoover in her first start on the surface in the $103,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf. Eoff co-owns the filly, who was sent to trainer Dallas Keen at Del Mar after Eoff saddled her to a debut win at Lone Star. Terra’s Angel won in May, and her namesake, Eoff’s daughter Terra, died in June.

“I had the filly, pushed her just a little to get her ready,” Eoff said. “I just wanted Terra to see the horse run. She didn’t get to come to the race, but all of her kids – my grandkids – got to, and she won!”

Eoff said Terra died a few weeks later. She was 36. He said she had been diagnosed with brain cancer in 2009. Terra was pregnant with the youngest of her three sons, and immediately after she delivered via C-section, Terra underwent a nine-hour surgery to have a brain tumor removed, said Eoff.

“They gave her six months to live,” Eoff said. “She lived another seven and a half years. She had a chance to see the kids

grow up a little bit.

“She loved to go to the races. She’s a little handicapper. She always came out to watch me. She didn’t like the barn work! But she always enjoyed coming to the races when she was in town.”

Eoff was unable to be at Del Mar because he was tending to the horses he trains at Remington and Retama. He has, however, been keeping close tabs on Terra’s Angel, who could run next at Santa Anita in the $100,000 Surfer Girl Stakes on Oct. 9.

“Everybody we talked to said, ‘Somebody was riding along with Sasha, pushing along just a little bit,’ ” Eoff said.

Eoff wouldn’t mind if Terra does the same thing with Mr. N.