D'Amato pair should factor in deep turf mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – There are two competitive allowance races Friday at Santa Anita, a turf mile for fillies and mares and a dirt mile open to both genders.

Most in the filly-mare race, the seventh, are eligible for the nonwinners-of-two-other-than condition, but the optional $80,000 claiming race is also open to non-winners of $60,000 since Dec. 5. The clause allows second-level allowance winner Ripassare to start. She might be the one to beat.

The dirt mile is the eighth race, an entry-level allowance mile with an optional $50,000 claiming tag that came up deep. Ghazaaly, entered for the tag, earned a 93 Beyer last month, the highest last-out figure in the field. Ghazaaly faces live comebacker Mr. Disrespectful and Magnify, who had an excuse for his odds-on misfire last out.

The turf mile is the deepest race on the card. Ten of the 11 entrants can start, and trainer Phil D’Amato expects Ripassare to move up following a respectable seventh in the Grade 3 Royal Heroine. Making her first start for D’Amato, Ripassare lost the turf mile stakes by only 2 1/2 lengths.

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“I think she’s got a lot of room to improve,” D’Amato said. “She didn’t get the smoothest of runs. She kind of checked from the half-mile pole to the quarter pole a couple times. If we can get a clear run, she’s got a good chance.”

Joel Rosario has been breezing Ripassare and will ride her Friday for the first time in a race. A 5-year-old with three wins from seven starts, Ripassare won a second-level allowance sprint in December and is eligible Friday under the clause “non-winners of $60,000 since Dec. 5.”

D’Amato also starts The White Lady, who has not raced since an entry-level allowance win last August at Del Mar.

“She’s had a bunch of good five-eighths. She seems fit to run,” D’Amato said. “I think she likes Del Mar a tad more, but she’s doing well and merits consideration.”

Antonio Fresu rides The White Lady, who is expected to improve next time out.

Mi Confesion, Group 1-placed in Argentina, moves up after an entry-level allowance win in late April at Santa Anita. Rosie Jeeks is a turf-sprint stakes winner eligible under the “non-winners of $60,000” clause. Sareeha wired a similar N2X turf mile last out while running for the optional claiming tag. It’s a deep field.

The race 8 dirt mile also is wide open. Ghazaaly is the fastest in the field based on his last-out 93 Beyer and a 94 three starts back. Doug O’Neill trains Ghazaaly, whose rider is Emisael Jaramillo.

Mr. Disrespectful, a fast Cal-bred allowance winner the last time he ran on dirt in December, has trained well for his first start since a turf misfire in a Cal-bred stakes. He is trained by Craig Dollase, and meet-leading rider Armando Ayuso is up.

Magnify finished a distant third last out after being eliminated on the first turn. He was pushed five wide, lost position, and was unable to make up ground on the rail-skimming, front-running winner. Magnify, trained by Tim Yakteen and ridden by Kazushi Kimura, breaks from the rail on Friday.

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