Majestic Heat points to La Canada Stakes

CYPRESS, Calif. – Majestic Heat’s two-race winning streak could be tested in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes at a mile at Santa Anita in January.

For the first time in her 16-race career, Majestic Heat won consecutive stakes in the Betty Grable Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at seven furlongs on dirt Nov. 2 at Del Mar and Sunday’s Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Los Alamitos.

Those are Majestic Heat’s only races on dirt, a surface that will be the focus of her 2018 campaign, trainer Richard Mandella said Monday.

“Maybe she always wanted the dirt,” he said.

Majestic Heat was winless in six graded stakes on turf earlier in her career, but did win two runnings of the Solana Beach Stakes on turf for California-breds in 2016 and earlier this year.

In the Bayakoa, Majestic Heat closed from sixth to win by 2 1/2 lengths over Champagne Room, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2016.

The last two races have shown Mandella that Majestic Heat had more ability than past results indicated.

“When I was training her, I thought there was more there than what she was showing,” he said.

The distance of the La Canada Stakes has been shortened from 1 1/16 miles, and it will be run Jan. 13.

Champagne Room is likely to stay in training in 2018 and could appear in the La Canada. Trained by Peter Eurton, Champagne Room set the pace to early stretch, including an opening quarter-mile in 22.86 seconds, and held second. Eurton said he was encouraged that the speedy Champagne Room was able to settle and still be prominent in the stretch.

“I think it was a good turning point for Champagne,” he said. “It looked like she was enjoying herself. The 22 and four took its toll on her late.”

The Bayakoa was Champagne Room’s first start since a sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 3 at Del Mar.