Finest City will stretch out to 1 1/8 miles for Santa Margarita

ARCADIA, Calif. – Finest City, the champion female sprinter of 2016, is scheduled to start in the longest dirt race of her career in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on March 18.

On Thursday at Santa Anita, Finest City worked six furlongs in 1:13.40. Following the workout, trainer Ian Kruljac confirmed race plans for Finest City, who won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint here in November and her only start this year in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs Jan. 21.

Kruljac said he is confident that Finest City can handle the distance of the $400,000 Santa Margarita. Last September, Finest City was beaten a head in the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar.

“She’s got a high cruising speed, and hopefully she can carry it a mile and an eighth,” he said. “She’s asking for more.

“It’s a prestigious race, and the money is right.”

Last June, Finest City was third behind the champions Beholder and Stellar Wind in the Grade 1 Vanity Mile on dirt at Santa Anita.

Owned by Tyler Seltzer, Finest City has won 5 of 15 starts and earned $1,045,594. Mike Smith has ridden Finest City in her recent starts and will be replaced by Tyler Baze for the Santa Margarita. Smith is scheduled to ride at Oaklawn Park on March 18.

The Santa Margarita field is led by Vale Dori, a winner of three consecutive Grade 2 races since December. Smith has ridden Vale Dori in those races. Flavien Prat is expected to take the mount.

Unique Bella breezes

There were several notable workouts at Santa Anita on Thursday.

Unique Bella, the brilliant filly, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.40 for the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-old fillies on March 4. Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Unique Bella won the Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile Feb. 5.

Hoppertunity, the millionaire graded stakes winner, worked five furlongs in 1:01 in company with stablemate Mor Spirit. Both are trained by Bob Baffert and were first and second in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes on Feb. 4.

Hoppertunity is scheduled to start in the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 25, while Mor Spirit is a candidate for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 11.