Toinette going in Matriarch

DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Neil Drysdale likes to play the long game, and with Toinette, it is paying off. A two-time graded stakes winner last year at age 3, Toinette was off for more than nine months before returning to action this year in August, and she has been brought along in a progressive, deliberate fashion.

Now it’s time for the main goal of the year.

After winning three of her four starts this year, most recently in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes on Santa Anita’s closing day Nov. 3, Toinette will face the sternest test of her career on closing day of Del Mar’s fall meeting Dec. 1 in the Grade 1, $300,000 Matriarch Stakes, where she will face the likes of Breeders’ Cup Mile runner-up Got Stormy.

Toinette won an optional claimer at Del Mar in August prior to finishing third in the Grade 2 John Mabee, then won the restricted Swingtime at Santa Anita before the Goldikova.

“We took the conservative approach,” Drysdale said Friday morning at Del Mar, “and feel like she’s coming into this race in good condition.”

The Goldikova, like the Matriarch, is at one mile on turf. Drysdale also finished second in the Goldikova with Simply Breathless, and said that filly also would run in the Matriarch.

Drysdale will have plenty of action the final weekend of the meet, when Del Mar has its popular turf festival. He said he would run Majestic Eagle, winner of the Grade 3 American earlier this year at Santa Anita, in the Grade 2, $200,000 Seabiscuit for 3-year-olds and up, and recent Del Mar maiden winner Overjoyed in the Grade 3, $100,000 Jimmy Durante for 2-year-old fillies, both on Nov. 30.

Majestic Eagle has not raced since Aug. 31, when he was fifth in the Tourist Mile at Kentucky Downs.

“That race kind of knocked him out, but he’s had plenty of time and he’s recovered now,” Drysdale said.

Stakes next for Threefiveindia

Threefiveindia, who made a dull main track look fast with a runaway victory in an upperlevel allowance on Thursday, will be pointed to stakes racing next, trainer Peter Miller said Friday.

Threefiveindia ran six furlongs in 1:09.20 while winning by 3 1/2 lengths under Abel Cedillo, who has ridden him to two front-running victories since he was claimed in September for $40,000. His win on Thursday was earned while coming back on just 13 days’ rest.

“We’ll look for a stakes race but give him plenty of rest this time, something like four to six weeks,” said Miller, who said Threefiveindia has thrived training at San Luis Rey Downs.

◗ Mo Forza, upset winner of the Twilight Derby on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita, worked a halfmile at Del Mar in 50 seconds on Friday morning for Miller as he readies for the Hollywood Derby.

Bast works for Starlet

Bast finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in her last start, and had her first work since then when she went a half-mile in 48.20 seconds on Friday morning at Santa Anita for trainer Bob Baffert. She is expected to start next in the Grade 1 Starlet at Los Alamitos on Dec. 7.

Also at Santa Anita on Friday, Santa Anita Derby winner Roadster – second last time out in the Damascus at Santa Anita on Nov. 2 – worked six furlongs in 1:12.20 for Baffert, and the grass filly Croughavouke, sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 1, went a half-mile in 51.20 seconds for Jeff Mullins. She is scheduled to make her next start in the Jimmy Durante.

Santa Anita notified trainers that following training on Monday the cushion of the main track will be re-blended and reconditioned. No works will be allowed on the main track Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. The training track will be open, with works permitted there.

◗ The Oak Tree Charitable Foundation has pledged $50,000 toward the acquisition of an equine standing magnetic resonance imaging facility, to be added to the equine imaging center at Santa Anita before the end of the year, the Southern California Equine Foundation announced Friday.

The ontrack hospital at Santa Anita was built in 1981 in large part owing to Oak Tree’s support, and the horse ambulances in use in Southern California, which have hydraulics to aid in loading injured horses, also were the result of Oak Tree’s funding.