Chocolate Coated faces turf stakes decision

ARCADIA, Calif. – Expect to see Chocolate Coated in a turf stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita in coming days.

Whether Monday’s Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes at a mile or Saturday’s Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course is the chosen race will be decided this weekend, trainer Neil French said.

“We have to make a difficult decision,” French said Saturday. “The hill race looks like it’s coming up a little easier than the race on Monday.

“If she runs on Monday, I think she’ll run well.”

A 4-year-old, Chocolate Coated was second in the Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf Oct. 29 in her last start. She was beaten 3 1/4 lengths by Lull, a three-time stakes winner. In her previous start, Chocolate Coated won an allowance race on the hillside turf course by 2 3/4 lengths in 1:11.76 on Oct. 6.

“She ran one of the fastest hill races of the [fall] meeting at Santa Anita and did it pretty easily,” French said. “She’s got hill experience.”

The Las Cienegas Stakes is the only stakes at Santa Anita next weekend. After Monday’s program, racing does not resume until Friday.

The field for the Megahertz Stakes is led by Insta Erma, who was third in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes on Nov. 26 at Del Mar, and Thundering Sky, who was a troubled 10th in the Matriarch but second in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes on Nov. 4 at Del Mar.

Chocolate Coated is one of 16 nominees for the $100,000 Las Cienegas.

Owned by breeders Barry and Judith Becker, Chocolate Coated has won 2 of 6 starts and earned $109,880. The Autumn Miss was her best result in a stakes, preceded by a fourth in the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on dirt at Del Mar last August.

“I think she’s a filly going up,” French said. “She’s a quality filly and very athletic filly. She does everything very well.

“I’d say she’s as good as she’s ever been.”

For French, 65, a win by Chocolate Coated in the next week could be a milestone – his first graded stakes win.

French battled health problems related to a fall in the winter of 2014-15, but has been a fixture at Santa Anita the last few years. His last stakes win was a minor race at Fairplex Park in 2010.

“Through all these years, I’ve been second and third many times in [graded] races, but never won one,” he said. “I’ve won stakes. I’m hoping my time is due.”

Gaffalione suspended three days

Tyler Gaffalione, the second-leading rider at the current Gulfstream Park meeting, has been given a three-day suspension for causing interference in the stretch of the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes on Jan. 7 at Santa Anita.

Gaffalione rode Win the War, who finished third as the 8-5 favorite, beaten 4 1/2 lengths by Midnight Bisou. Gaffalione was cited for failing to keep a straight course in the stretch. The suspension runs Friday through Sunday.

Apprentice heads to Santa Anita

Apprentice jockey Franklin Cellabos has relocated from Maryland to California and will begin riding at Santa Anita next weekend, according to his agent, Saul Marquez. Cellabos, 18, claims seven pounds and will have apprentice status until late July, Marquez said.

A native of Venezuela, Cellabos has won 34 races. He won 24 races at the Laurel meeting from early September to the end of 2017.