Majestic Heat gets chance to shine in La Canada

ARCADIA, Calif. – Competition for Majestic Heat soon will be stronger than the distaff hodgepodge she meets Saturday in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita.

But until Paradise Woods recovers from illness and Unique Bella stretches to two turns, Majestic Heat will show the way as the solid favorite in the $200,000 La Canada, shortened this year to one mile and likely to include a field smaller than the nine entered.

Union Strike, who was initially expected to run on turf Monday in the Grade 3 Megahertz, will remain in the La Canada, owner-trainer Mick Ruis said late Thursday afternoon.

Shenandoah Queen may scratch.

Union Strike, claiming mare Mended and minor stakes winners Mopotism and Sandy’s Surprise are Majestic Heat’s main rivals.

Majestic Heat was a turf specialist until late 2017, when trainer Richard Mandella opted for a dirt experiment eight days after she finished sixth in a Grade 2 on turf. “She’s a big, strapping mare, and I always wanted to try her on dirt,” Mandella said.

Majestic Heat toyed with statebred sprint rivals in the Betty Grable Stakes at Del Mar, followed by the Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes around two turns at Los Alamitos. Like in the Betty Grable she won the Bayakoa decisively, by 2 1/2 lengths with a 94 Beyer.

“She won those two races very easily,” Mandella said.

Plans call for Majestic Heat to race through her 6-year-old season this year. If she reproduces her recent win, Majestic Heat will be tough to beat Saturday.

While Majestic Heat’s class is resolved, Mended faces a tall order. Claimed early last year for $12,500 by trainer John Martin, she has won 10 consecutive races while running mostly in claiming and starter allowance races. Mended won the $110,000 Claiming Crown Glass Slipper last month at Gulfstream Park.

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Mended, who shipped Wednesday from Golden Gate to Santa Anita, is racing in her first graded stakes. Notwithstanding her win streak, Martin is realistic.

“I don’t know how good the horse is because she was running in a lot of cheaper races she was eligible for,” Martin said. “We’ll take a shot. I don’t think she’ll embarrass herself.”

Mended, a front-runner, will have company on the lead. Resky Business also runs on or near the lead, and moves up in class following a first-level allowance win.

Mopotism, third to Unique Bella and Paradise Woods in the Grade 1 La Brea, was supplemented for $4,000 to the La Canada. She is trained by Doug O’Neill, who also entered Zia Park Oaks winner Sandy’s Surprise.

Union Strike, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante in 2016, will be racing for the first time since June. Ruis said she is ready.

"Oh, she's fit because I wanted to run her in the La Brea and then those two monsters were there," said Ruis, referring to La Brea one-two finishers Unique Bella and Paradise Woods. "I said, 'Hey, why would I want to do that with her?'"

Shenandoah Queen finished next to last behind Majestic Heat in the Bayakoa. Trainer John Sadler suspects she did not care for the track, and said she could scratch. La Force also was entered in the La Canada.