Hollywood: Mizdirection to focus on turf sprints

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Mizdirection, the Del Mar stakes winner, will race primarily in turf sprints during the upcoming Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, after a victory in an optional claimer over six furlongs on turf last Sunday.

Trainer Mike Puype said that Mizdirection will be pointed for the $100,000 Monrovia Stakes over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course on Jan. 2. Owned by a partnership, Mizdirection has won 3 of 7 starts. She won the Sandy Blue Handicap over a mile on turf at Del Mar in the summer, but may be better at shorter distances, the trainer said.

In Sunday’s second race, Mizdirection won under a hand ride by 2 3/4 lengths under jockey Garrett Gomez.

“Her sprint races are out of this world,” Puype said. “She can get the mile, but it’s not what she excels at.”