Santa Anita: Apple Blossom first major goal for My Miss Aurelia

Barbara D. Livingston

My Miss Aurelia, with trainer Steve Asmussen, may have one prep race in California, where she is in training, before heading to Oaklawn Park in April for the Apple Blossom Handicap.

ARCADIA, Calif. – My Miss Aurelia, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2011 and a finalist for champion 3-year-old filly of 2012, will have a late winter and early spring campaign geared toward the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 12, co-owner George Bolton said.

My Miss Aurelia is currently in training with Steve Asmussen at Santa Anita, and could have a prep race in February or March before the trip to Oaklawn.

“The Apple Blossom is the goal,” Bolton said. “We’re considering giving her a prep and then the Apple Blossom.”

Co-owned by Stonestreet Stable, My Miss Aurelia has won 6 of 8 starts and $2,422,000. She won her first six starts, including the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs.

My Miss Aurelia won her first two starts of 2012 – the Mandy’s Gold Stakes at Saratoga and the Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing – but has lost her two starts. She was second to Royal Delta in the BC Ladies’ Classic in November, and third in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes over seven furlongs on Dec. 26.

Bolton said that My Miss Aurelia will have a campaign in 2012 geared toward the second half of the year.

“It’s a long year,” he said. “There are a lot of races to choose from.”

My Miss Aurelia is currently galloping at Santa Anita. If she has a prep race in California, the possibilities are the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 16 or the $300,000 Santa Margarita Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on March 16.