Mandella, with six stakes victories, enjoying a wonderful spring

ARCADIA, Calif. - Perhaps it was just a case of coincidental timing, but the official arrival of spring on March 20 marked the start of an ongoing run of success in California for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella.

That day, United won the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes on turf at Santa Anita for his fifth career stakes win and the stable’s first stakes win of any kind in more than four weeks. Since United’s win, Mandella has won five additional stakes, the most recent of which was Saturday’s $76,636 Angels Flight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies with the promising Astute.

The stable could have more success through May and early June – at Santa Anita and at Belmont Park.

On May 29, United is expected to start in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita, the day before Soothsay is projected to run in the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks. Soothsay, undefeated in two races, won her stakes debut in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 3.

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On May 31, Royal Ship will start in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles, having won a key prep race - the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at 1 1/8 miles - on April 17. On the same program, Dogtag is a candidate for the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Missy P, second to Astute in the Angels Flight, is under consideration for the Grade 3 Desert Stormer Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs on May 16, even though an appearance in that race would constitute a rapid turnaround from Saturday and her first start against older fillies and mares.

Astute is a candidate for the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes at a mile at Belmont Park on June 5, the same day Tizamagician is scheduled to start in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Stakes at 1 1/2 miles. Those races are on the undercard of the Belmont Stakes program. Tizamagician won the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita on April 18.

For the current Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, Mandella has won seven stakes, good enough for third in the standings in that category behind leader Bob Baffert with 13 and Phil D’Amato with 12. Overall, Mandella has won 17 races at the meeting, which began on Dec. 26.

Astute had her first start of the year in the Angels Flight at seven furlongs, leading throughout as the 5-2 second choice to win by 2 1/4 lengths over 3-10 Missy P.

Astute was a well-beaten fourth in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Los Alamitos last December, emerging from the race with a foot injury. Her 2021 debut was delayed because of illness.

“Astute is a good filly,” Mandella said. “Throw that Los Al race out. She hurt a foot bad.”

Astute has won 3 of 4 starts for owners Larry, Nancy and Jaime Roth’s LNJ Foxwoods Stable. She won the Desi Arnaz Stakes at seven furlongs by 7 1/2 lengths at Del Mar last November in her stakes debut. The Acorn Stakes, and the Grade 1 Test Stakes at seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 7, interest Mandella.

“I’d like to keep her at one turn,” Mandella said.

Mandella, 70, has a deep team of 3-year-old fillies. Aside from Astute and Missy P, the stable won the Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes in early February with Moonlight d’Oro, who was sidelined with injury shortly after that start.

“She will come back next month to start jogging,” Mandella said. “She won’t race until the fall.”

On Saturday, the Mandella-trained Golden was second in the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf, but was disqualified and placed sixth for causing interference in the stretch.

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While those runners have established form in California, Mandella has a recent import from Argentina in Scotish Star, who has attractive credentials and could start in stakes soon.

A 4-year-old, Scotish Star is unbeaten in two starts, including the Group 1 Polla de Potrancas at about a mile on dirt in Argentina last October.

“She’s pretty nice,” Mandella said.

Scotish Star has recorded a series of quick workouts in the last month and worked in company with Astute in April.