Cast Member gets distance test in Soviet Problem Stakes

On the strength of two attractive wins, Cast Member will attempt the transition from sprinter to miler in Sunday’s $100,000 Soviet Problem Stakes for statebred 2-year-old fillies at Los Alamitos.

Cast Member has won both her races. She won her debut in a maiden special weight race at six furlongs on Sept. 3 at Del Mar, and then the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies for California-bred 2-year-old fillies at seven furlongs on Oct. 29 at Santa Anita.

Trained by Tim Yakteen for owner and breeder George Krikorian, Cast Member figures to be near the front under jockey Ramon Vazquez, who was aboard for the stakes win.

“I think we have to play the break,” Yakteen said. “I’d like to see her setting up there. Ramon has ridden her and knows her. She’s versatile.”

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Cast Member will break from post 4 in a field of five, with two quick fillies to her inside in Big Celebration, bred by Krikorian, and Cocktail Princess.

Big Celebration, a $100,000 purchase as a yearling, scored by seven lengths in a maiden special weight race for statebred fillies at six furlongs at Los Alamitos in September in her second start, but lost all chance in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies when she stumbled at the start. Big Celebration was never a factor and finished last of five.

The Soviet Problem Stakes will be the stakes debut for Cocktail Princess, who was claimed for $50,000 when second in a maiden race for statebred fillies on July 29 at Del Mar.

Now trained by George Papaprodromou, Cocktail Princess underwent a throat operation following that race and won a maiden special weight race for statebred fillies at six furlongs on turf on Nov. 5 at Santa Anita.

Cocktail Princess was supplemented to the Soviet Problem for the hefty fee of $25,000, which makes her eligible for California-bred stakes throughout the state for the remainder of her career. Like Big Celebration and Cast Member, Cocktail Princess will start at a mile for the first time in the Soviet Problem.

“Since we claimed her, she’s improved a lot,” Papaprodromou said. “She’s been training good on the dirt.

“We can stretch her out a little bit. It’s a small field and it’s $100,000.”

The other two fillies in the Soviet Problem – Grazed My Heart and Loyal to a Fault – have raced at a mile.

Grazed My Heart, trained by Jeff Mullins, won her fifth start, a maiden special weight race at a mile on turf on Oct. 23 at Santa Anita. She closed from last in a field of six as the 9-10 favorite.

Grazed My Heart was a game second in a similar race on Aug. 28 at Del Mar, losing by a neck to Quickly Park It, who followed that result with an upset win in the Pike Place Dancer Stakes at Golden Gate Fields in October.

Loyal to a Fault is winless in six starts. She has been second in three maiden races at a mile on turf.

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