Maiden turf sprint filled with potential

DEL MAR, Calif. – Between the blockbuster Pacific Classic card Saturday, a terrific card Sunday, and a whirlwind closing weekend in a little less than two weeks, something had to give at Del Mar, and that something is Thursday, which has six claiming races among the eight offerings.

But the other two races, both on turf, are intriguing, and the sizable fields in both the pick six and pick four make the card far more appealing than appears at first glance.

The nominal feature is race 7, a starter allowance at one mile on turf for females that carries a purse of $35,000. But biggest purse of the day belongs to the race that might very well have the most interest, a five-furlong turf race for maiden 2-year-old fillies that goes as race 5.

The $60,000 maiden race has a number of well-regarded first-time starters, none more so than Artistic Diva, a $425,000 auction buy of Kosta and Pete Hronis in April out of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s sale.

“We think she’ll like turf, and this is a good place to start,” said John Sadler, who trains Artistic Diva. “We think she can run quite a bit. A lot of time, you put horses on the turf if they’re not showing anything on dirt. That isn’t the case here.”

Artistic Diva is by Munnings out of a Mizzen Mast mare, so grass is in her pedigree. She is one of several fillies Sadler is ready to unleash during the final two weeks of the meet.

Also in race 5 is Orageuse, a daughter of Broken Vow who is making her debut for Richard Mandella, and Roses and Candy, a Candy Ride filly whom Ron McAnally bred and owns with his wife, Debbie.

“She probably wants longer,” McAnally said. “I think she wants to go a distance.”

Race 7, the starter allowance, includes four who exit a similar one-mile starter allowance July 26. Tammy’s Window did the best of that quartet, finishing second.

Party Hostess was fourth in that race while making her first start after moving to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer via private purchase.

“I thought she did pretty well,” said Hollendorfer, who will switch to jockey Drayden Van Dyke for this race. “She finished well, just fell too far back.”

Shazara was fourth in a similar starter allowance Aug. 2 after rallying five paths wide on the final turn. That was her second start after being claimed for $40,000 by trainer Gary Sherlock.

“She had a horrible trip last time,” Sherlock said. “She got fanned out and out.”

She may have a similar trip this time, though, as Shazara landed the outside post and needs to be kept in the clear, Sherlock said.

“You can’t get her stopped,” he said. “She’s so big.”

Tink’s Twirl is another top contender. She exits a second after pressing a lively pace in a $40,000 claimer.