Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Harvest Moon among handful expected for Santa Margarita
ARCADIA, Calif. – Harvest Moon finished fourth behind two 2020 champions in her last two starts. She will have an easier assignment in Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita.
Harvest Moon is unlikely to have many rivals at all in the $200,000 race for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles. The race drew eight nominations.
Trainer Jonathan Wong said Keeper Ofthe Stars may be held out of the Santa Margarita in favor of the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes on turf May 31. Keeper Ofthe Stars won the 2020 Gamely.
Warren’s Showtime could run in the Santa Margarita or the Fran’s Valentine Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares on turf on May 9, trainer Craig Lewis said.
Bob Baffert said in a text message Sunday that he may start two in the Santa Margarita – As Time Goes By, who was second to 2020 champion 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver in the Beholder Mile, and Crystal Ball, winner of an allowance race April 2.
Harvest Moon was beaten by Monomoy Girl, the 2020 champion older dirt female, in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland last November.
In her 2021 debut, Harvest Moon was fourth in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile on March 13 at Santa Anita, seven lengths behind Swiss Skydiver.
Harvest Moon was second for the first six furlongs of the Beholder Mile before fading from contention.
“We were definitely a little disappointed,” trainer Simon Callaghan said. “She seems to have done well since the race. She probably needed the race.”
Owned by Michael Tabor and Alice Bamford, Harvest Moon worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 on Sunday, although Callaghan timed her in 1:00.80.
“I was happy with the way she looked,” Callaghan said.
Harvest Moon was given a workout on the weekend of April 10-11, Callaghan said, although the exercise was not officially recorded.
Leading rider Flavien Prat is booked to ride Harvest Moon, a two-time stakes winner last year.
Soothsay will skip Ky. Oaks
Soothsay, winner of the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 3, is staying in California this spring and will not start in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on April 30 at Churchill Downs
Trainer Richard Mandella cautioned that Soothsay was not a definite runner for the Kentucky Oaks immediately after the Santa Anita Oaks, and said Sunday that the unbeaten filly will be pointed to the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks on May 30 at Santa Anita.
“She’s coming back to where she was,” Mandella said Sunday. “To get her completely back and ship her is too much.”
Soothsay won her debut in a maiden special weight race at six furlongs on Feb. 26. The Santa Anita Oaks at 1 1/16 miles was her second start.
By Distorted Humor, Soothsay is owned by Claiborne Farm, Ramona and Perry Bass, and Adele Dilschneider.
The $200,000 Summertime Oaks at 1 1/16 miles is the leading race for 3-year-old fillies on dirt in the final weeks of the Santa Anita winter-spring season, which ends June 20.
On May 1, Mandella intends to start Missy P and Astute in the $75,000 Angels Flight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs.
Astute won the Desi Arnaz Stakes at seven furlongs by 7 1/2 lengths at Del Mar last November, but has not raced since she finished a well-beaten fourth in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos in December.
Missy P won a maiden special weight at 5 1/2 furlongs by 9 1/2 lengths on March 12 in her only start.
Pick six hit for $423,000
The 20-cent Rainbow pick six at Santa Anita was hit for $423,202 on Sunday on a ticket purchased for $64.80 at Los Alamitos, the track announced.
The pool began with a carryover of $197,941. Bettors added $295,170 to the pool Sunday.
The bet is paid in its entirety if there is only one winning ticket, or on days with a mandatory payout. On most days, the bet is paid to tickets with six winners, with another portion of the pool going toward a carryover until there is one winning ticket or a mandatory payout.
Sunday, a win by Sweetest Angel ($30) in the ninth and final race clinched the singleticket payout. Had any of the other runners won, there would have been a carryover to Friday’s program.
The pick six is held on the final six races on the program. The winners of the other pick six races on Sunday were Rakassah ($7.20), Alcools ($6.60), Uncle Addouma ($41.40), Mucho Del Oro ($23), and Cezanne ($5.80). Alcools was the only winning favorite.