Santa Anita: For Hidinginplainsight, the hill is alive

Shigeki Kikkawa

Trainer Mike Puype expects Hidinginplainsight to be near the front, and possibly setting the pace, on Friday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Last spring, Hidinginplainsight took a liking to Santa Anita’s hillside turf course, winning a maiden race and finishing second in an allowance race on it. Those races may define how she is campaigned at the current winter-spring meeting.

Friday, Hidinginplainsight makes her second start after a seven-month layoff in an optional claimer over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. A successful race could lead to more starts on the hillside course.

“She likes the hill,” trainer Mike Puype said. “Her turf races are solid. She likes the layout of the course, and when you run on the hill that’s a good thing.”

Hidinginplainsight was second in an allowance race over six furlongs on the synthetic main track at Betfair Hollywood Park on Dec. 1. The race was scheduled for turf but switched to the main track because of wet conditions. In a field of five, Hidinginplainsight took the early lead, had a two-length advantage in the stretch, but was caught late, losing by a length.

Puype expects her to be near the front, and possibly setting the pace, on Friday.

“She runs the same kind of race every time,” Puype said. “She’s very honest.”

Hidinginplainsight, 4, is part of a field of 10 that includes Cayanna, who was third in the California Cup Distaff here in October. Trained by Doug O’Neill, Cayanna is entered to be claimed for $40,000. She was seventh against a similar field over a mile at Hollywood Park on Dec. 14, fading from contention in the final furlong.

Purim’s Dancer will be well backed. Trained by Tom Proctor, Purim’s Dancer won a starter allowance on the hillside turf course in October and was third behind Hidinginplainsight on Dec. 1.

Earlier on the program, Long Face, who was second in the Le Cle Stakes on turf at Hollywood Park last summer, makes her first start since September in an optional claimer for fillies and mares over a mile on turf.

Long Face was sixth in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks on turf and seventh in the Torrey Pines Stakes on the synthetic main track at Del Mar during the summer.

“We expect a good performance,” said trainer Patrick Biancone.

Long Face is part of a field of eight. O’Neill starts Ricspretentiousgal, who was second in an allowance race on the main track here on Dec. 30 as a pacesetter.