Li’l Grazen one-third of a winning team

The mare Li’l Grazen and top jockey Flavien Prat were a perfect team at the 2020 Del Mar summer meeting, winning two California-bred allowance races in as many starts.

Li’l Grazen was entered by trainer Peter Miller to be claimed for $20,000 in the optional claiming condition of those races and was taken by trainer Manuel Ortiz in the second of her wins at Del Mar last August. Four races later, on March 5, Miller claimed the 7-year-old mare again.

Li’l Grazen, Prat, and Miller will team for the first time since August in an allowance race at 5 1/2 furlongs on Sunday at Santa Anita. Once again, Li’l Grazen is eligible to be claimed for $20,000. She was third in a race with similar conditions last month when claimed by Miller.

Miller cautioned Friday that Li’l Grazen has not trained as well in recent weeks as she did last year.

“She doesn’t seem quite like the same filly,” he said. “We’re hoping she can be competitive. She’s not training as good as before.

“It’s the right spot that she fits in. Hopefully, she runs better than she’s training.”

Li’l Grazen is part of a field of nine and drew post 8.

Kleen Karma and Little Miss Ellie can play leading roles with their best effort.

Kleen Karma won her debut in a $50,000 claimer for California-bred maidens on dirt in January 2020, but has raced on turf in her last eight starts. Trained by Craig Lewis, Kleen Karma was second in an allowance race at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Jan. 31.

Little Miss Ellie was third in an allowance race for California-bred fillies and mares at seven furlongs on Jan. 31 when ridden by Prat. She was second in a $50,000 claimer for maidens at this distance at Del Mar last July. Kent Desormeaux has the mount for the first time Sunday.

Sunday’s nine-race program consists entirely of races on the main track. Santa Anita did not race on Friday and held only dirt races this weekend to allow the turf course a mid-season rest. After Sunday’s program, racing resumes Saturday, April 17. There is limited turf racing on April 17-18.

There are four stakes on the weekend of April 17-18, led by the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on the main track for older horses. The $200,000 Californian is a prep race for the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup on May 31.

Rock Your World gallops

Rock Your World galloped 1 1/2 miles on Friday at Santa Anita, six days after his win in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in his main-track debut.

Unbeaten in three starts, Rock Your World is scheduled to have workouts on April 17 and April 24 at Santa Anita in advance of the Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

“He looks great,” trainer John Sadler said. “It’s nice and relaxed because everything is going so well.”

Sadler said there is a scenario in which Rock Your World could have three workouts before the Kentucky Derby, but that the plan is for two. Owned by Pete and Kosta Hronis and Michael Talla, Rock Your World won two turf races earlier this year, including the Pasadena Stakes at a mile on Feb. 27.

Soothsay, who won the Grade

2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 3 in her second start, remains a contender for the Kentucky Oaks on April 30 at Churchill Downs, although trainer Richard Mandella stressed that he wants to follow her progress in coming weeks.

“She galloped this morning and looked good,” Mandella said Friday. “She’s only run twice, and I pushed her into the Santa Anita Oaks.

“As long as I don’t feel like I’m going backwards, I’ll go. I won’t be bull-headed. If I had to guess today, I’d say we go.”

Mo Forza coming back

Mo Forza, a five-time graded stakes winner in 2019 and 2020, will return to trainer Peter Miller’s stable on May 1 after a six-month break.

Mo Forza has not raced since a win in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita last October. Mo Forza was considered a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland last November, but was sidelined with injury.

“It’s been the same recurring injury,” Miller said. “It’s a soft tissue. It’s an old deal. We get two, three, four races and he needs a break.

“We’ve given him all the time. We could have brought him in on April 1. Our goal is the Breeders’ Cup. There’s no rush to bring him in early. We only need one or two preps for him.”

The Breeders’ Cup Mile will be run Nov. 6 at Del Mar. Owned by Bardy Farm and OG Boss, Mo Forza has won 6 of 12 starts and earned $734,460. He has won six of his last seven starts.