Avenue de France will target Goldikova Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Avenue de France won two stakes at the Del Mar summer meeting, but will only have one chance to win a race at that level at the Santa Anita autumn meeting that begins Friday.

Avenue de France will miss the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on turf Oct. 8 in favor of the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes at a mile on turf Oct. 29.

While the $200,000 Goldikova has a purse $100,000 less than the Rodeo Drive, the timing of the race is a good fit for Avenue de France, trainer Leonard Powell said.

“I’ll wait for the Goldikova,” he said. “I don’t want to ship. She ran three times at Del Mar.”

Avenue de France won the restricted Osunitas Stakes at a mile on July 23 at Del Mar, finished second in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 13, and won the Grade 2 John Mabee Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Sept. 10. Those races were on turf.

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Avenue de France, 5, has won five stakes in the last 14 months.

Powell plans to have starters in two stakes this weekend.

Air Force Red, fourth in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on turf on Sept. 3 in his stakes debut, will have his first start in a stakes sprint in the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course Saturday.

On the same day, Dicey Mo Chara, third in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf Sept. 3, will start in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at 1 1/4 miles on turf.

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