SANTA ANITA Stevens will ride Achira in allowance

ARCADIA, Calif. – It seemed Achira had won the most controversial horse race of the year at Santa Anita on May 6.

That day, Achira won an allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option at a mile on turf by a half-length over Helen Hillary despite drifting out. The stewards conducted an inquiry, but the order of finish was not changed, leading to an uproar on social media and a four-day suspension for careless riding for jockey Mike Smith.

Achira will start from the rail in an allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option at a mile on turf in Thursday’s seventh race at Santa Anita. Gary Stevens replaces Smith on the 4-year-old filly.

Trainer John Shirreffs said Sunday the change was made because Stevens had worked Achira through May while Smith had obligations around the nation with eventual Triple Crown winner Justify.

“We needed someone to get on her in the morning and try to get her to rate a little bit,” Shirreffs said.

Stevens rode Achira to a second-place finish in a maiden race at Del Mar last November. Since then, Achira has won twice, giving Shirreffs the hope she can develop into a stakes filly later this year.

Achira is part of a field of eight on Thursday that includes the stakes winners Cheekaboo, Hachi, and Moonless Sky, and the stakes-placed Amboseli and Wind Tartare.

Thursday’s program is the first of four days of racing on the final week of the spring-summer meeting, which ends Sunday.

KEY CONTENDERS

Achira, by English Channel Last 3 Beyers: 86-86-85

◗ Owned by Jerry and Ann Moss, Achira has kept good company in recent starts. She was beaten a neck by Vasilika in an allowance on April 15. Vasilika won her next start and is a candidate for Sunday’s Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes. Helen Hillary, whom Achira beat on May 6, won an allowance last Saturday.

◗ Achira has set the pace in her last three starts and is likely to do so on Thursday, even though Shirreffs would prefer she race as a stalker.

“We’ve been trying to get her not to be out in front,” he said. “Quite often, there isn’t enough speed in the race for her to get a good comfortable position. I think it will be the same case on Thursday.”

Hachi, by Seeking the Dia Beyer: 88-NA-NA

◗ Hachi was fifth in an allowance at a mile on turf May 5 in her American debut and first start since last June.

Causeway Carolyn, by Giant’s Causeway Last 3 Beyers: 88-79-90

◗ Causeway Carolyn is winless in 19 starts since August 2015, but ran well enough in an allowance on the hillside turf course on April 1 to suggest she can be factor in this longer race. Causeway Carolyn was eighth, beaten five lengths, in the Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes on the hillside turf course on May 28.

Cheekaboo, by Unusual Heat Last 3 Beyers: 80-83-85

◗ Cheekaboo is winless in 10 starts since the Grade 2 Honeymoon Stakes in June 2016. Trained by Peter Eurton, Cheekaboo was third in the Fran’s Valentine Stakes for statebred female turf milers May 19 in her first start in a year.