Fair Grounds: Ria Antonia may ship west for Santa Anita Oaks

With Untapable, Unbridled Forever, and, to a lesser extent, Fiftyshadesofgold, the Fair Grounds Oaks is coming up a very tough race. So tough, in fact, that the connections of Ria Antonia might choose not to be a part of it.

Trainer Jeremiah Englehart said Tuesday that Ria Antonia, at this point, is more likely to start in the April 5 Santa Anita Oaks than the week before in the Fair Grounds Oaks.

“If I had my dues, I think I’d rather go out to Santa Anita,” Englehart said. “I think the Fair Grounds Oaks could be the toughest 3-year-old filly race of the year. I have no trouble tucking my tail and trying what seems like it might be an easier race. I want to make it as easy as possible on her.”

Ria Antonia, if she ships to California, would be returning to the track where she was placed first via She’s a Tiger’s disqualification in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 2. This past Saturday’s Rachel Alexandra Stakes, in which Ria Antonia finished fourth, beaten more than 14 lengths by victorious Untapable, was her first race since the Juvenile Fillies. Englehart, and jockey Joe Talamo, said the filly got tired.

“Joe told me he had horse going down the backside, and he thought he was going to be able to follow Untapable, but at the quarter pole, he knew he was in trouble,” Englehart said. “I kind of knew she would get tired, but I hoped she wouldn’t get that tired.”

Englehart said Ria Antonia, if she does ship for her next start, would depart Fair Grounds on March 25 and breeze once at Santa Anita.

Untapable’s romp Saturday produced the highest Beyer Speed Figure earned by a 3-year-old filly in 2014, a 100. Unbridled Forever got a 93 Beyer winning the Silverbulletday Stakes in January at Fair Grounds and a 96 for a maiden win last fall at Churchill. Fiftyshadesofgold, who’s unproven in routes, also earned a 96 Beyer in a Texas-bred sprint stakes earlier this month at Sam Houston, her first start since August.

Handle continues to drop

The 10-percent cut to overnight purses Fair Grounds announced Feb. 20 was spurred by continuing year-to-year declines in average daily all-sources handle.

Average daily all-sources handle on Fair Grounds in January was $2.36 million, a 12 percent decline from the $2.68 million handled during January 2013. That decline actually represented an improvement from handle drops during November and December – roughly 17 percent from the previous season – but wasn’t enough, apparently to stave off a second round of purse cuts. About three-quarters of a million was cut from the tracks’ stakes schedule in January.

During the 43 days of racing during November, December, and January this meet, average daily all-sources handle has been $2.31 million, a 14 percent dip from the $2.69 million average daily all-sources handle during the 43 race days during the corresponding period last meet.

◗ The featured seventh race on Thursday is a first-level turf-sprint allowance for 3-year-old fillies that drew a field of seven and, given the local forecast, could easily be rained onto dirt.