Bobbi Grace faces large field in Sweet Life

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bobbi Grace won for the first time in the U.S. in an optional claimer on the hillside turf course Jan. 16 at Santa Anita, the filly’s third start in this country.

Gary Stevens rode Bobbi Grace that day and is hoping for a long-term partnership with the Irish runner, who starts in Saturday’s $75,000 Sweet Life Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.

Bobbi Grace was sent off at even-money Jan. 16 and pulled clear late to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

“It was a steer job, just like it looked,” Stevens said.

Trained by Tom Proctor for Heider Family Stables, Bobbi Grace will be favored in the Sweet Life, which drew a field of 13. The race will have a safety limit of 11 runners, which has left Sister of Mercy and Pankhurst on the also-eligible list.

Bobbi Grace, who began her career in Ireland, is a closer. She was third and seventh in one-mile stakes on turf last fall. Stevens said a big field in the Sweet Life is not a concern, considering the way Bobbi Grace rallied from seventh in a field of 10 in her recent win.

“The bigger the field, the more I like it,” he said. “Sometimes it’s easier to get a good trip than when there are four or five horses.”

Bobbi Grace was third in the Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf here last October. She is part of a field that includes Maybellene, who was third in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes on dirt at Los Alamitos in December; Wedding Blush, who was second or third in three stakes in Northern California last year; She’s a Big Winner, the winner of a maiden race on the hillside Jan. 9; and the English import Spirit of Xian.

Spirit of Xian won 2 of 8 starts for trainer Richard Hannon last year, including an allowance race at six furlongs at Chester Racecourse. Chester is a tight course with a short stretch, similar to many American turf courses. Spirit of Xian now is trained by Richard Mandella.

“I’m not too sure how good she is,” Mandella said. “I haven’t put her to a full test. They say she liked the turns. It’s time to see what we’ve got.”

The race has two other European imports in Havanna Belle, now trained by Phil D’Amato, and Sister of Mercy.