Pantsonfire could turn tables on stablemate Queen Blossom

ARCADIA, Calif. – In the Grade 3 Santa Barbara Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf April 28 at Santa Anita, Queen Blossom rallied to win her first stakes in two years and first in the United States. Her stablemate, Pantsonfire, closed well to finish third.

Queen Blossom and Pantsonfire will start in Sunday’s $80,000 Possibly Perfect Stakes at 1 1/4 miles, a distance that may better suit Pantsonfire, according to their trainer, Richard Baltas.

“It’s probably more in favor of Pantsonfire,” he said. “I think Queen Blossom wants all of a mile and a half, but this is a good spot for her as well.”

Pantsonfire, who is owned by Next Wave Racing, Pat Maciariello, Jeremy Peskoff, and Mark Silverstein, drew the rail in the eight-runner Possibly Perfect and will be ridden for the first time by Kent Desormeaux. Pantsonfire won two allowance races with claiming options at 1 1/8 miles on turf here in February and early April.

Queen Blossom, who races for Abbondanza Racing and Medallion Racing, ended an 11-race losing streak with a 9-1 upset in the Santa Barbara Stakes. Queen Blossom won the Group 3 Park Express Stakes in Ireland in March 2016.

Queen Blossom was fitted with blinkers for the first time in the Santa Barbara and will be fitted with the equipment again Sunday.

“It worked,” Baltas said of the equipment change. “I was very happy with the race.”

The Possibly Perfect drew a competitive field.

Evo Campo, who won the 2017 Santa Barbara Stakes, was fourth against males in the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at about 1 3/4 miles on turf on April 22.

Plein Air won her American debut in the Astra Stakes at 1 1/2 miles in January, but was fifth as the 4-5 favorite in Santa Barbara, fading from contention in the final quarter-mile.

“She didn’t run her race,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “She’s better now. I think she just got tired.”

Jockey Mike Smith will replace Tyler Baze on Plein Air. Baze has not ridden since May 19 because of body soreness sustained in a spill that day. He has targeted a Thursday return to riding.

Cause for com motion was second in the Santa Barbara after leading in the stretch. Geovanni Franco was aboard for that race and has the mount again Sunday. Franco’s tactics in the stretch will be vital to keeping Cause for com motion interested if she reaches the front again, trainer Eric Kruljac said.

“The problem with her is she gets the lead and she shuts the engine down,” he said. “The thing is to get her in front right at the wire.”

Cal-bred Uncle Mo colt debuts

Mobou, a rare Californiabred by leading stallion Uncle Mo, will make his debut in a maiden race for 2-year-old statebreds in Sunday’s fifth race at Santa Anita.

Bought for $390,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September yearling sale, Mobou races for Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs and will be ridden by Gary Stevens. Mobou drew the rail in a field of eight, which has tempered Shirreffs’s expectations for Sunday’s race, but not the colt’s long-term prospects.

“In the morning, he looks very talented,” Shirreffs said. “I expect him to run a good race. It’s unfortunate he drew an inside post. I think Gary can negotiate that well.

“I wouldn’t expect him to be on the lead out of the gate. He’s got good confirmation and good mind for a young 2-year-old. He’s got a lot of good qualities. It would be nice to get a start here and go to Del Mar.”

Mobou will start against four other first-time starters, including Mr Paytience, trained by Doug O’Neill, and No New Friends, trained by Jeff Bonde. O’Neill has already won three 2-year-old races at Santa Anita this spring.

There are two maiden races for California-breds at 4 1/2 furlongs on Sunday. In the first division, the third race, O’Neill has two of the seven entrants – Occam’s Razor and Takeo Squared, both by Square Eddie.

Occam’s Razor is a first-time starter with solid recent works from the gate. Takeo Squared was third to stablemate Carnivorous in a similar race May 19.

Roman to return June 14

Evin Roman, the champion apprentice jockey of 2017, has targeted a return to riding on June 14 from a foot injury sustained in a training accident April 24.

Roman will begin exercising horses Thursday, according to his agent, Tony Matos. The jockey met with a doctor earlier this week and was cleared to return to riding, Matos said.

The injury occurred when a horse stepped on Roman’s foot, breaking a bone above the big toe. The injury did not require surgery, but the recovery has taken longer than expected. Initially, Roman hoped to resume riding in May.

Earlier this year, Roman, 20, was the leading rider at Santa Anita’s winter-spring meeting with 46 wins, one more than Flavien Prat. Last year, Roman won three riding titles at Los Alamitos.