Kentan Road looks primed to win first stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – It may only be the middle of February, but Kentan Road is already having a career-defining year.

The 6-year-old mare was second in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 11, her first placing in her third appearance in a stakes.

“It would be nice to win a stakes,” trainer John Sadler said on Friday.

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Kentan Road may not have a better opportunity in the near future than Monday’s $70,000 Wishing Well Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf. The race is restricted to fillies and mares who have not won a graded stakes since July 1.

Owned by Keith Abrahams, Kentan Road was fifth in the Daisycutter Stakes at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar last July in her stakes debut, and 22nd career start, and eighth in the Grade 2 Sen. Ken Maddy Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs here on Nov. 2. The Las Cienegas Stakes was her 26th start.

“She loves the short sprints,” Sadler said. “She’s probably a little better at five.”

In the Las Cienegas Stakes against four rivals, Kentan Road set the pace to the final furlong before being caught by the Brazilian import Jolie Olimpica, who won by 1 1/4 lengths. Kentan Road finished 2 1/4 lengths in front of Storm the Hill, a three-time stakes winner.

“She ran one of her best races the other day against a newcomer that looks pretty good,” Sadler said.

Jolie Olimpica and Storm the Hill are nominated for the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes at a mile on turf on Feb. 22.

There are only five entrants in the Wishing Well and Kentan Road is expected to take her familiar position near the front. She could face pressure from Miss Hot Legs, who has not raced since a win in an allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar in November.

The other runners are An Eddie Surprise, who was fourth in the Las Cienegas; Apache Princess, the winner of the Grade 3 Sweet Life Stakes in February 2019 who was third in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint for California-breds on Jan. 18; and Tonahutu, who was sixth in an optional claimer at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf on Jan. 5.

Apache Princess had her third start in five weeks in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint, closing from fifth on the turn to finish 1 1/4 lengths behind Stealthediamonds. Apache Princess was second in the Bear Fan Stakes on the synthetic track at Golden Gate Fields on Dec. 14 and fifth in the Grade 1 American Oaks at 1 1/4 miles on turf here on Dec. 28.

Trained by Keith Desormeaux, Apache Princess is a threat from off the pace on Monday.

“She’s as steady as they come,” Desormeaux said. “We finally get a little spacing. We’re looking forward to getting a little class break.”