Irish rivals, now stablemates, meet in Sweet Life Stakes

The fillies Going Global and Majestic Steps finished fourth and seventh in a six-furlong maiden race for 2-year-olds fillies in Limerick, Ireland, last June while racing for different stables. By the end of the year, they were stablemates at Santa Anita with trainer Phil D’Amato.

Sunday, Going Global and Majestic Steps meet for the second time in the Grade 3 Sweet Life Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs on turf.

The competitive 12-filly lineup includes the stakes winners I’m So Anna and Royal Address, as well as the stakes-placed runners Nimbostratus and Pizzazz. The $100,000 Sweet Life Stakes will be the stakes debut for Five Pics Please, a 29-1 winner of an allowance race at six furlongs on turf on Jan. 21, beating Nimbostratus and Plum Sexy, who also is part of Sunday’s race.

Majestic Steps is one of three recent maiden race winners in the field, along with Freedom Flyer and Squared Shady.

Majestic Steps, owned by Michael House, won her American debut in a six-furlong maiden race at Santa Anita on Jan. 2, her fifth career start. After the loss at Limerick, Majestic Steps finished fourth and fifth in maiden races in Ireland. In September, she was beaten 6 1/4 lengths on heavy turf she did not prefer, D’Amato said.

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“I think she likes the firmer turf here,” D’Amato said on Friday.

Going Global was 12th and 13th in maiden races on heavy or soft turf in Ireland in July and August before winning a maiden race on the synthetic track at Dundalk Racecourse in Ireland in November in her final start in that country.

“She’s trained very well,” D’Amato said. “I entered her in an allowance race that did not go. I saw the writing on the wall. This was our plan B. I think she’s a nice filly.

“I think they both merit running in this spot.”

The Limerick maiden race has been productive. Runner-up Consternation was second in the Pike Place Dancer Stakes at Golden Gate Fields in October to I’m So Anna. Race winner Inner Beauty also races in California now, but is winless in three starts.

The Sweet Life will be the first start in the United States for Go Greta and Royal Address.

Go Greta won for the first time in her career in her third start in an allowance race on the synthetic track at Lingfield Park in England last July. Go Greta, purchased for approximately $65,000 at a horse in-training sale in October in England, is now based with Richard Baltas.

Royal Address won the minor Criterium de Vitesse at five furlongs on turf at Chantilly, France, last September, and was later seventh of 11 in the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes at Newmarket, England, on Oct. 9. Later that month, Royal Address was sold for approximately $220,000 at a horses in-training sale in England.

Now trained by Neil Drysdale, Royal Address has displayed a series of quick workouts on the infield training track at Santa Anita since the beginning of the year.

Nimbostratus, trained by Peter Miller, was beaten three-quarters of a length by Five Pics Please, closing from off the pace. She is likely to have a similar trip from the rail in the Sweet Life.

“I thought she ran very well sprinting last time,” Miller said. “Going three-quarters, she’ll probably be mid-pack.”