Hit the ‘all' button in Royal Heroine Stakes
ARCADIA, Calif. – How do you handicap mayhem? That is the question Thursday at Santa Anita, where 14 fillies and mares – the maximum number of starters for a one-mile turf race – will jostle for position in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes.
It is not a race, it is a stampede. The $200,000 Royal Heroine also is the final race on the eight-race card as Santa Anita opens its 40-day spring meeting that runs through July 10.
Big fields often include several no-hope outsiders, but there are none in the Royal Heroine. Seven are graded stakes winners, four are listed stakes winners, and three others are allowance-caliber sharpies, including recent blowout winner Havanna Belle.
Phil D’Amato trains Havanna Belle and 2015 Royal Heroine winner Fanticola, whose chances of repeating were downgraded when she drew post 14. Her Emmynency, a Grade 1 winner, had bad luck last out, finishing fifth as the favorite. She lost a hind shoe, displaced, and grabbed a quarter.
Glory is knocking at the door, graded stakes winners Prize Exhibit and Sharla Rae return from layoffs, and graded sprint winner Living The Life has an upset chance while returning to turf. There is not one toss-out in the field.
Others entered include stakes winners Keri Belle, Smoove It, Elektrum, Fasnacloich, Faufiler, Nancy From Nairobi, and the import La Berma. The turf rails will be down for the Royal Heroine; two turf races earlier Thursday will be run with the rails at 20 feet.
KEY CONTENDERS
Her Emmynency, by Successful Appeal
Last 3 Beyers: 83-91-98
◗ Santa Anita could shoulder partial responsibility for Her Emmynency’s misfire last out in the Grade 2 Santa Ana. The temporary rail at the dirt crossing was improperly positioned, and Her Emmynency was headed straight toward it after breaking from the inside post. Joe Talamo snatched her to the right to avoid the rail, at which point she tore off her left hind shoe and also displaced.
“It was kind of a disaster,” trainer Kristin Mulhall said. “If she runs well [Thursday], it’s on to the Gamely.”
The Grade 1 Gamely is May 30.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Her Emmynency. Trainer Kristin Mulhall is 24-5-3-5 with a $3.66 ROI over the past five years in turf routes in the third start following a layoff. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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◗ Her Emmynency won the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland; she has won four of nine and earned $556,250. ◗ Tyler Baze takes over for Talamo, who rides Fanticola.
Fanticola, by Silent Name
Last 3 Beyers: 75-92-90
◗ A third-place comeback in a dirt sprint was only the first start of the final campaign for the 6-year-old Fanticola, who will be sold in the fall. She has won five races and $513,300 from 20 starts. The comeback prep race by Fanticola was solid.
“It was a good race to get her going,” D’Amato said. “It was a good prep, and she came out of it even better. She’s better longer.”
◗ Post 14 has produced two winners from eight starters in one-mile turf races at Santa Anita over the past 15 years.
Havanna Belle, by Teofilo
Last 3 Beyers: 96-85-90
◗ An allowance crusher by more than six lengths last out stamps Havanna Belle as a leading contender. D’Amato credits her improvement to a new running style.
“We always wanted her to sit and get covered up, and it seemed like she always found trouble,” he said. “Flavien [Prat] rode her great last time. He put her in the race.”
◗ The challenge for Havanna Belle is reproducing her form over a course expected to be firm. Her best races have been on slower turf.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 10 Havanna Belle. Trainer Phil D’Amato is 52-16-4-9 with a $3.24 ROI over the past two years in turf routes with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Living The Life, by Footstepsinthesand
Last 3 Beyers: 93-92-90
◗ Third in a Grade 1 on dirt last out, Living The Life tries turf for the first time since a tough-trip sixth in a Grade 2 at Del Mar in November.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 13 Faufiler. Trainer Graham Motion is 14-5-2-1 with a $5.12 ROI over the past five years in turf route graded stakes in Southern California with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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