Girls Know Best ready to roll in BC Turf Sprint or Maddy

ARCADIA, Calif. – Despite the fact Girls Know Best would be a longshot if she drew into Saturday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, trainer Eddie Kenneally would like to run the 5-year-old mare against the boys in that race. If she doesn’t draw from the also-eligible list by early Saturday morning, Girls Know Best would settle for running in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes, the first race on the Breeders’ Cup card at Santa Anita.

“We’d like to take a shot in the Grade 1 with her if we could and get in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, but we’d be happy to run in the Ken Maddy if we didn’t get in the Turf Sprint,” Kenneally said. “We’re just happy to be here and we’re ready to go.”

Girls Know Best is 12 for 23, including 5 for 11 at the 5 1/2-furlong distance of the Maddy. In her last start, she was beaten 2 1/4 lengths by Oleksandra and Morticia in the Grade 3 Franklin County at Keeneland on Oct. 11.

“I think we ran our race at Keeneland, we just ran against two very nice fillies,” Kenneally said.

Girls Know Best, who would break from post 8 in the Maddy, will likely try to wire the field. There is other speed in the race, most notably Kentan Road, a 5-year-old mare trained by John Sadler. Kentan Road has won three of her last four, all turf sprints at Del Mar and Santa Anita that were run at five furlongs, and Sadler thinks his mare benefits from the new shorter configurations at Santa Anita rather than the old sprint distance of 6 1/2 furlongs down the hill.

Sadler said Kentan Road has not run since August because the prep for the Maddy didn’t fill at the beginning of the Santa Anita meet.

Trainer Jonathan Thomas shipped Escapade here from New York. Escapade is coming off a third-place finish in the Sensible Lady Turf Dash at Laurel. The 1-2 finishers from that race, Goldwood and Fire Key, reversed that result in the Floral Park Stakes at Belmont.

Thomas likes the outside draw for Escapade, who broke from the rail in the Sensible Lady.

“We were drawn inside last time – we were forced to go,” Thomas said. “In the start prior, she was drawn outside and was able to lay off the pace. If we get a setup like that she has the ability to rate.”

Javier Castellano rides from post 9.

Just Grazed Me, winner of the California Distaff Handicap, and Don’t Sell, winner of the Unzip Me Stakes, lead the local contingent.

Damascus: Roadster cuts back

Roadster, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles in April, returns from a 4 1/2-month layoff in Saturday’s $100,000 Damascus Stakes at seven furlongs.

Following his victory in the Santa Anita Derby, Roadster crossed the finish line 16th in the Kentucky Derby before being elevated to 15th via the disqualification of Maximum Security. He hasn’t run since finishing second to Mucho Gusto in the Grade 3 Affirmed at Santa Anita on June 16.

Bob Baffert, the trainer of Roadster, is hoping to use this race as a stepping-stone to a race like the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Dec. 7.

Baffert is equipping Roadster with blinkers for the Damascus and said the colt is training “the best he’s ever trained.”

Baffert said Roadster has had past problems with quarter cracks in his hind feet.

“Knock on wood, he’s really good there,” Baffert said.

Baffert will also run Comical Ghost, a son of Ghostzapper who is 2 for 2. Baffert was torn between running Comical Ghost in this race or an allowance race coming up at Del Mar that he’s afraid may not fill.

Flagstaff, third to Omaha Beach and Shancelot in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship, will try seven furlongs for the first time in the Damascus.

Horse Greedy and Extra Hope complete the five-horse field.