Cee Stone on a roll on grass

ARCADIA, Calif. - On a scouting trip to Kentucky last year, trainer Mike Machowsky decided to claim Cee Stone with an eye on running her in distance races on California's main tracks. Little did he know that he was claiming a turf horse.

Cee Stone won her first two starts for Machowsky on turf, and she will try for her third consecutive win when she starts in an optional claimer over a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Monday.

"I thought she'd like the grass," Machowsky said. "She surprised everyone a little bit. She looks like a different type of horse."

Owned by Oak Valley Stable, Cee Stone won a $50,000 claiming race on Feb. 11 and an allowance race on March 10. The most recent victory led Machowsky to consider running her in the $100,000 Wilshire Handicap over a mile on turf at Hollywood Park on April 23 until Monday's race was offered.

"She's undefeated on this turf course, and I hope to keep it that way," Machowsky said.

Cee Stone has earned $63,600 this year, easily recovering her $50,000 claiming price at Keeneland last April. She was turned out for 10 months after a bone chip was found in an ankle, Machowsky said.

In her recent wins, Cee Stone led throughout, but Machowsky insists that she is not committed to that style.

"She goes along on the grass so easily," Machowsky said. "When we've worked her in the mornings, she goes behind horses."

Earlier in her career, when trained by Donald Grego in Kentucky, Cee Stone won a one-mile allowance race on Polytrack at Turfway Park, rallying from seventh in a field of eight.

In Monday's race, Cee Stone may stalk Heathersdaddysbaby, who was claimed from Machowsky for $50,000 on March 28 by trainer Mike Mitchell. Machowsky expects Heathersdaddysbaby to have the early lead.

Heathersdaddysbaby "definitely wants the lead more so than the other filly," he said. "At least with the draw, we can dictate what we want to do. We can sit right off of her or on her neck."

Cee Stone has drawn the outside post in a field of six, while Heathersdaddysbaby will start from post 3.