Kyriaki appears eager to run in La Canada

ARCADIA, Calif. - Kyriaki may run in Saturday’s $200,000 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita out of necessity.

“She’s trying to tear the barn down,” trainer Peter Eurton said on Sunday.

Eurton made that statement after Kyriaki worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 on Sunday morning. He plans to start the 6-year-old Kyriaki this month at Santa Anita and said he is leaning toward the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes at 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares in favor of the $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs on Jan. 23.

Kyriaki, who races for Joe Ciaglia and Dominic Savides, has won three of her last four starts, including the first stakes of her career in the Treasure Chest Stakes at Delta Downs on Nov. 21, her most recent start. Kyriaki won consecutive optional-claiming races at Los Alamitos and Del Mar in July and August, before finishing last of eight in the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes here on Sept. 26.

Eurton said Kyriaki’s behavior through the week will help determine plans.

“We’ll see how she jumps into her feed,” he said. “If not, we’ll go for the Santa Monica.”

By Scat Daddy, Kyriaki has won 4 of 18 starts and earned $262,066 in a career that began in early 2013. If she starts in the La Canada, she will face a test.

The race has a projected field of nine, including two recent graded stakes winners – Birdatthewire, who won the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs on Dec. 26, and Taris, who won the Grade 3 Go for Wand Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 27.

This will be the first start at 1 1/16 miles for Birdatthewire since she won the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks last March. Taris has started once at 1 1/16 miles in her career, finishing sixth in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park in 2014.

Other candidates are Gas Total, Honey Ride, Oscar Party, Tara’s Tango, Warren’s Veneda, and Yahilwa. Trainer Jim Cassidy said Oscar Party could be redirected to next Monday’s $100,000 Megahertz Stakes at a mile on turf.

Santa Anita begins a five-day racing week on Thursday that includes Monday racing. As a result, there is no racing on Thursday, Jan. 21.