I'm So Anna takes talents to turf in Pike Place Dancer Stakes

Eight 2-year-old fillies, including four maidens, try to earn a first stakes victory in Saturday’s $75,000 Pike Place Dancer at one mile on the turf.

I’m So Anna is the lone runner to have placed in a stakes, having finished second Aug. 30 as the favorite in the Generous Portion at Del Mar, a six-furlong dirt sprint for California-bred juvenile fillies. In her only start since, she led in midstretch of a one-mile optional claimer on the Golden Gate Tapeta but was outfinished by Tacoflavoredkisses and beaten a half-length.

“She could have got a little tired, and she was running against boys,” said trainer Steve Sherman.

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I’m So Anna has beeen regarded highly by Sherman all along, and validated his opinion of her by winning a statebred maiden race by four lengths at Los Alamitos in her second start.

“You could see early she was going to fit with good ones,” Sherman said of I’m So Anna, a homebred KMN Racing filly by Fast Anna. “She’s got the right temperament. Things don’t shake her up.

Things have not always gone smoothly for I’m So Anna. She missed training time with an illness and a foot problem, and later was sidelined by the unhealthy air from Northern California wildfires, Sherman said.

If there’s a question about I’m So Anna, it’s how she will handle turf. She’s run well on dirt and synthetic, but her sire has only one winner from 33 runners making their turf debut.

Sweetest Angel is a maiden based in Southern California with George Papaprodromou. By Candy Ride, she has made all three of her starts on turf down south, finishing third in two maiden races and fourth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar in September. Sweetest Angel added blinkers for her last start but removes them for the Pike Place Dancer.

Local runner Momma Mocca debuted in a Tapeta sprint and showed improvement going two turns on turf in her two subsequent starts. She won a maiden $32,000 claiming race in September but was disqualified and placed fifth for causing interference. In her last start, she was second to Dyn O Mite, who ran fifth in a pair of Grade 1 stakes at Del Mar.

“She’s a big, big girl, but she’s done everything perfect,” trainer Reina Gonzalez said. “It’s pretty exciting.”

Consternation and Risen Lady both have won on the turf. Consternation, trained by Paddy Gallagher, won a maiden race at Del Mar going a mile on turf Sept. 6, and subsequently ran seventh in the Surfer Girl on the turf at Santa Anita.

Risen Lady comes off a five-length maiden victory for a $32,000 claiming tag over the Golden Gate turf.