Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Sensational Star field in flux
ARCADIA, Calif. – The weather will dictate the field for Sunday’s $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes for California-bred sprinters at Santa Anita.
The race is scheduled for about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course, but there is a chance of rain late Saturday and early Sunday that could put the race on the main track.
Peter Miller trains four of the 14 horses entered in a race that will have a maximum of 11 if run on the hillside turf course. Miller does not plan to start all four.
Stakes winners Richard’s Boy and Solid Wager will run if the race is moved to the dirt. If the race stays on turf, the allowance-class runner Anatolian Heat, stakes-placed Fly to Mars, and Richard’s Boy will start.
“It all depends on whether it stays on grass,” Miller said.
Richard’s Boy, second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in November, is the most prominent runner in the field, but was third in his first two starts this year – the Joe Hernandez Stakes on the hillside turf course Jan. 1 and the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint at five furlongs on turf Jan. 27.
The loss in Florida did not discourage Miller.
“He ran four wide,” Miller said. “He didn’t really have an excuse, but I thought he ran well.”
Miller said Richard’s Boy is being considered for the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at six furlongs on turf at Meydan Racecourse on March 31 in Dubai.
Anatolian Heat, who will have his stakes debut in the Sensational Star, is underrated, Miller said.
“Anatolian Heat is kind of an up-and-coming Cal-bred,” Miller said. “He was unlucky to lose last time.”
The graded stakes winner Masochistic will run regardless of the surface. Masochistic was a well-beaten fifth at 7-10 in the California Cup Sprint at six furlongs on dirt Jan. 27, his first start for trainer Bob Baffert and first race since May.
“He’s doing well,” Baffert said. “I think he was dead short the first time I ran him. He’s been working well since that race. He runs no matter what.”
Unique Bella may miss start
A recent bout with a cough may prevent champion Unique Bella from starting in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes for fillies and mares March 17 at Santa Anita.
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Friday that Unique Bella has resumed training, but was unsure about immediate race plans for the sensational 4-year-old filly.
“She had a little bit of a cough, and we haven’t ruled the race out yet,” Hollendorfer said.
“We have been very conservative. We’re taking things day by day.”
Unique Bella was galloped Friday morning, Hollendorfer said. She has not had a workout since Feb. 25, when she ran five furlongs in 58.60 seconds.
Owned by Don Alberto Stable, Unique Bella has won 7 of 9 starts and earned $712,400. She is unbeaten at the current meeting in two starts – the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs Dec. 26 and a ninelength win in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes against older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 10.
The champion female sprinter of 2017, Unique Bella will be a heavy favorite if she starts in the $400,000 Santa Margarita Stakes at 1 1/8 miles. She is by far the most prominent of 11 nominees, though the race could have additional runners at the supplemental entry stage Wednesday.
Aside from Unique Bella, the candidates include Bishop’s Pond, Eccentric Spinster, Fault, La Force, Majestic Angel, Mistress of the night, Mopotism, and Turkish Tabby.
Fault won the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes at a mile on turf in her California debut Feb. 19. The Santa Margarita Stakes would be her first start in a stakes on dirt.
Roy H tops Dubai team
Roy H, the 2017 champion sprinter, will lead trainer Peter Miller’s team bound for Dubai’s Meydan Racecourse and sevenfigure stakes on the Dubai World Cup program March 31.
Miller considered Roy H for Saturday’s Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita, but opted not to run the 6-year-old gelding twice in March.
Stormy Liberal, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar last November, and Conquest Tsunami, winner of the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes on the hillside turf course Feb. 24 at Santa Anita, are candidates for the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at six furlongs on turf along with Richard’s Boy, who is entered in Sunday’s Sensational Star Stakes at Santa Anita.
Miller said he may have two runners for the $1 million Al Quoz.
Multiplier, winner of the Grade 3 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne last April, may run in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile on dirt. Multiplier was third in an allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option in his first start for Miller on March 2 at Santa Anita.