Santa Anita: Bobina to point for Senorita Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Perfect after two starts, Bobina will make her stakes debut in the $100,000 Senorita Stakes at Hollywood Park on May 5.

The filly earned a trip to that race by splashing home to a half-length win in an optional claimer over a mile on a sloppy main track at Santa Anita on Friday. The race was scheduled for turf, but moved to the main track after a day of rain.

Bobina ($5.40) was ridden by Edwin Maldonado for trainer A.C. Avila.

Owned by Haras Santa Maria de Arara, Bobina was timed in 1:37.20, outfinishing Gittel. Bobina was in traffic at the three-eighths pole in the field of four, a result of racing in tight quarters. Avila said that could be partially attributed to the conditions.

“Edwin said she was slipping,” Avila said. “He had to check.”

By Malibu Moon, Bobina beat maidens in her career debut in a one-mile maiden race on turf on March 31.

“She’s a good horse,” Avila said. “She’s got so much class. She’s always worked super. Let’s see what happens on the turf.”

The Grade 3 Senorita is run over a mile on turf, and is the first of three graded stakes on that surface for 3-year-old fillies at Hollywood Park. The top race in the series is the $400,000 American Oaks over 1 1/4 miles on July 14.

Avila could have a big finish to the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, which ends next Sunday.

Saturday, he starts the longshot Glowing Spirit in the $150,000 Santa Barbara Handicap over 1 1/4 miles on turf for fillies and mares. A 4-year-old Brazilian-bred filly, Glowing Spirit has yet to win a stakes in 12 starts. In the Grade 2 Santa Barbara, she faces a field led by Vamo a Galupiar, the winner of the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes last month.

California Flag ready for San Simeon

California Flag, the winner of the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, will make his 2012 debut in Saturday’s $100,000 San Simeon Handicap over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.

Now 8, California Flag has not started since a 12th-place finish in the BC Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs last November. Trained by Brian Koriner for Hi Card Ranch, California Flag has worked steadily on turf in recent weeks.

“We are on schedule,” Koriner said. “He’s very energetic.

“When you work him he doesn’t go 100 miles per hour. He goes as fast as you want to go. Hopefully we can campaign and make it to the Breeders’ Cup for a fifth year.”

The 2012 BC Turf Sprint will be run at Santa Anita in November.

A gelding, California Flag won the Grade 3 Morvich Stakes on the hillside turf course last October, the seventh stakes win of a career that includes 10 wins in 25 starts and earnings of $1,228,825.

The San Simeon field will not include Mr Gruff, the winner of the Joe Hernandez Stakes on the hillside turf course on March 4. Mr Gruff has been sidelined with a bruised foot, trainer Ron Ellis said last week.