Great Return one to catch in Thursday allowance

ARCADIA, Calif. – The 4-year-old filly Great Return wastes no time making an impression in her races. Thursday at Santa Anita, Great Return is likely to set the pace in an allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option for fillies and mares at a mile on turf.

Great Return was beaten a length finishing third in a similar race at a mile on turf Aug. 30 at Del Mar.

“She gave it a helluva try the other day,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “She’s turned into a pretty good horse.”

A 4-year-old filly owned by Bo Hirsch, Great Return has won 2 of 5 starts, all on turf. She won her debut in a maiden special weight race at five furlongs at Del Mar in July 2018 and finished third in an optional claimer in September before she was given a break for more than nine months.

Great Return raced from a stalking position in five-furlong turf races, but has led or disputed the pace in her two starts at a mile on turf, including a win in an optional claimer July 27 at Del Mar as the favorite.

Drayden Van Dyke has ridden Great Return in her three starts this year and retains the mount. Van Dyke will be entrusted to conserve some of Great Return’s energy to hold off a likely threat from K P Slickem, who won an optional claimer at a mile on turf Aug. 10 at Del Mar in her second start for trainer Jeff Mullins.

K P Slickem had her first seven starts on dirt for trainer Martin Weston, including two seconds and a third in stakes at Sunland Park in New Mexico from late January to late March.

A 3-year-old filly, K P Slickem was second in her turf debut July 19 at Del Mar before winning on Aug. 10. Mike Smith was aboard for those races and has the mount Thursday.

Don’t Blame Judy and Lucky Peridot are in good form.

Don’t Blame Judy won an optional claimer at a mile on turf here in May and was fifth in the Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes here in June and sixth in the Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar in July. Trained by Eric Kruljac, Don’t Blame Judy raced in traffic in the final quarter-mile and finished fourth in an optional claimer on Aug. 30 at Del Mar.

Lucky Peridot, who was withdrawn from Saturday’s Unzip Me Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf, beat a modest field on dirt in an optional claimer Sept. 15 at Los Alamitos and closed with interest for second in a turf race Sept. 2 at Del Mar.