Maglev, Feeling Grazeful ready to roll after comebacks

ARCADIA, Calif. – Now that encouraging runner-up comebacks are behind them, an Irish colt and a California-bred mare are expected to improve in separate allowance sprints Friday at Santa Anita.

Maglev is the likely favorite in race 7, a second-level allowance on the hillside turf course. A 4-year-old colt imported from Europe in 2021, Maglev won an age-restricted stakes last winter at Santa Anita and recently finished second in his return from an 11-mount layoff.

“We didn’t have him 100 percent ready to roll,” trainer Mark Glatt acknowledged. “I thought he ran excellent.”

Maglev meets four rivals Friday, including Code Duello and Zoffarelli.

Feeling Grazeful is the key entrant in race 8, a filly-mare California-bred allowance. Although both her wins were on turf, Feeling Grazeful is no slouch on dirt – four runner-up finishes from four dirt starts, including her comeback last month. She dueled and tired.

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“She was a bit keener than I expected,” trainer Anthony Saavedra said. “Maybe the race will help her settle. If not, we’ll just let her go.”

Speed is an attribute, though Feeling Grazeful faces pace rivals Unwritten Code and La Deuxieme Etoile. Glorious Spring rallies from behind.

Friday’s nine-race card includes a split of a California-bred optional-claiming turf mile. Mobou and Mischievous Path entered race 1; closers Mamba Cool and Clayton Delaney go in race 9. The turf rails are at the outermost 30-foot setting, which is a trivial concern. The past year with the rails at 30 feet, closers from the middle or rear won 12 of 39 turf miles.

Maglev is arguably the best horse running Friday at Santa Anita. Purchased for $433,000 at a European horses of racing age sale in 2021, he finished second in his U.S. debut, then won the Baffle Stakes for 3-year-old turf sprinters. In both races, the hard-pulling colt was excessively keen. Glatt and owner Tim Cohen are hopeful he has matured.

“I think he’s going to relax a lot better this year than he did,” Glatt said. “He was real aggressive and would never really relax. With a couple of down-the-hill races, sometimes that teaches them to relax.”

He has already. Maglev rated behind a blistering pace in his comeback, cut the corner into the lane, and finished a clear second under Umberto Rispoli, who rides him Friday.

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The challenge Friday to getting Maglev to settle in a sprint likely to unfold at a much slower pace. Code Duello rallied from last in his recent win, but he has speed. Zoffarelli figures as a contender; Count of Amazonia and Fayathaan also entered.

In race 8, Feeling Grazeful makes her second start for owner Candice Osborne. The mare previously was owned by her mother, Susan Osborne, who died last summer at 81. Feeling Grazeful’s trainer looks forward to a surface switch with the daughter of Grazen.

“Hopefully, we can bust through this condition, then get her back on the grass,” Saavedra said.

Leading jockey Juan Hernandez rides Feeling Grazeful.

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