Appealing Tale regroups against far softer

Appealing Tale’s chances for an upset win in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes on Jan. 10 ended at the start.

“He didn’t break well last time, and he needs to be on the lead,” trainer Peter Miller said this week.

Appealing Tale finished second in the San Pasqual and has yet to win a stakes. A 5-year-old gelding, Appealing Tale could move closer to another race at that level with a win in a third-level optional $80,000 claimer at a mile in Friday’s second race at Santa Anita. Appealing Tale is part of a field of five.

The tactics used by jockey Victor Espinoza on Appealing Tale will be basic.

“He’s better when he’s on the lead,” Miller said.

The one-mile distance is in an ideal range for Appealing Tale, who was second in the Santana Mile here last March.

Miller also runs Fly Lexis Fly, who was eighth in the Clocker’s Corner Stakes for turf sprinters Jan. 25 in his first start since May.

“We’re looking for an improved effort with blinkers off and a return to dirt,” Miller said.

The other runners are Crimson Giant, Magic Mark, and Rousing Sermon, who was fourth in the California Cup Sprint on Jan. 24. Rousing Sermon, trained by Hollendorfer, was eighth in the 2012 Kentucky Derby.

In Friday’s sixth race, Taste Like Candy, second in three stakes in her career, will be favored to get her third career win in a second-level optional $62,500 claimer at a mile. Trained by Hollendorfer, Taste Like Candy was second to Warren’s Veneda in the minor Paseana Stakes on Jan. 11. Warren’s Veneda won the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes last Saturday.

The optional claimer will be the longest race in the career of My Sweet Addiction, who was last of six in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes at seven furlongs Jan. 19 after setting the pace. My Sweet Addiction has worked quickly this month at Los Alamitos.

◗ There are no graded stakes at Santa Anita this weekend. Saturday’s feature is the $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes for California-breds at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. Ambitious Brew, the winner of the 2014 Sensational Star, is part of a field of eight that includes Spirit Rules, the winner of the Cal Cup Sprint.