Forest Chatter does his thing on favorite course

ARCADIA, Calif. - Forest Chatter got his first stakes win in Monday’s $100,500 California Flag Handicap on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita. He is now unbeaten in five starts on the course.

Ridden by Mike Smith in the California Flag Handicap, Forest Chatter ($4.60) was always near the front and won by a head over a determined Somethings Unusual, a 10-1 shot. Forest Chatter ran about 6 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:11.94.

Forest Chatter was second to K Thirty Eight for the opening quarter-mile before taking the lead. He led by a length with a furlong remaining and was challenged to the wire by Somethings Unusual.

“At the eighth pole, I was scared to death,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “Mike nursed him along.”

The California Flag Handicap, restricted to California-breds was the third consecutive race in which Somethings Unusual was beaten a half-length or less.

“He likes the tough beats,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “I think he likes the tough beats more than I do. I thought he ran very well.”

K Thirty Eight held third, followed by Bold Fantasy, Rock Me Baby, Ambitious Brew and Over Par. After the race, Ambitious Brew was vanned off and was reported to have bled, stewards said.

Forest Chatter won four consecutive races on the hillside turf course from early January to mid-May – a maiden race and three optional claimers. Coming into the California Flag, he had lost three straight races.

“He’s trained as good as you’d want,” Mandella said. “He got a little sour in the middle of the summer. I took a little time and freshened him up.”

Trainer Richard Mandella said more stakes on the hillside turf course during the 2015-16 winter-spring meeting will be a goal for the 4-year-old gelding.

Owned by Pam and Marty Wygod, Forest Chatter, by Dixie Chatter, has won 5 of 10 starts and earned $230,510. Mandella said he might try Forest Chatter on the main track at Del Mar in the $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes for California-breds at seven furlongs on Nov. 22, and then aim him for more stakes on the hillside turf course during the winter-spring meet at Santa Anita..