Fanticola returns to sprinting in Wishing Well Stakes
ARCADIA, Calif. – When Fanticola won the first stakes of her career in the Megahertz Stakes at a mile on turf Jan. 17, the victory suggested that she would remain in two-turn races this winter.
Trainer Phil D’Amato has elected to take a different approach. Fanticola will start Sunday in the $75,000 Wishing Well Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course instead of the $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes at a mile Feb. 16.
“It looks like the right kind of spot to continue building her confidence,” D’Amato said of the Wishing Well. “She’s won down the hill, so I’m not worried about the hill.”
The Wishing Well is restricted to fillies and mares who have not won a graded stakes since July 1. There are no graded stakes winners in the field of nine.
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Key contenders
Fanticola (Last 3 Beyers: 90-74-90)
* Fanticola, a 5-year-old mare, was third in the 2014 Wishing Well, one of three career starts on the hillside. She won an allowance race on the hillside in October 2013.
* In the Megahertz, Fanticola led throughout and won by a half-length at 7-1. Owned by Anthony Fanticola and Joe Scardino, Fanticola has thrived since that race, showing enthusiasm for training in recent weeks, D’Amato said.
“She came out of the last race knowing that she won the race,” he said. “This will be a good test to see where we stand in the stakes down the hill.”
* Fanticola has led in several of her two-turn races but has raced from off the pace on the hillside, where the pace typically is quicker.
Birdlover (Last 3 Beyers: 90-89-78)
* Birdlover has not raced since finishing second in the 2014 Wishing Well, emerging from the race with an injury. A 5-year-old mare trained by Doug O’Neill, Birdlover won an optional claimer on the hillside turf course in January 2014.
* Birdlover was entered for the Megahertz Stakes last month but did not draw into the field from the also-eligible list.
“She’s doing super,” O’Neill said. “She should be tough.”
Harlington’s Rose (Last 3 Beyers: 79-80-76)
* Harlington’s Rose won the Kalookan Queen Stakes on dirt Dec. 28 and was third in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes at seven furlongs on dirt Jan. 19. She was a troubled fourth in an optional claimer at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar in November.
* Trainer Steve Knapp said the Wishing Well is a test to see how well Harlington’s Rose can handle her first start on the hillside turf course.
“Everyone wants to know because there are a ton of turf races,” Knapp said. “But she can run on turf.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Harlington’s Rose. Trainer Steve Knapp is 8-3-0-1 with a $6.95 ROI over the past two years going dirt to turf in sprints at Santa Anita. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Sky Treasure (Last 3 Beyers: 92-82-85)
* Sky Treasure was a fast-closing fourth in the Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes on the hillside turf course Jan. 4, her first try on the surface. She raced wide throughout and was beaten 1 1/2 lengths by Shrinking Violet.
* Trained by Mark Casse, Sky Treasure was second and third in sprints for females at Woodbine last year.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Indecise. Trainer Richard Mandella is 19-0-2-2 over the past five years following a layoff of one year or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Global Hottie. Trainer Bob Baffert is 39-1-5-6 with a $0.09 ROI over the past five years in turf sprints at Santa Anita. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan