Mandella sprinters to travel

The recent Santa Anita sprint stakes winners Big City Lights and Kopion are under consideration for lucrative races in Arkansas and Kentucky in the first half of April, trainer Richard Mandella said on Sunday.

Big City Lights, the easy winner of the California Cup Sprint for statebreds at six furlongs on Jan. 18 in his only start this year, may run in the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 12. Mandella said the $500,000 Count Fleet at six furlongs is preferred over the Grade 3 Whitmore Stakes there on March 15 or the Group 1 Golden Shaheen Sprint in Dubai on April. 5.

“We’ll take a little time with him,” Mandella said.

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Kopion, who won the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes on Jan. 25 in her last start, will miss an intended start in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile for fillies and mares at Santa Anita this Saturday because of a recent illness.

A backup plan is the Grade 1, $650,000 Madison Stakes, a seven-furlong race for fillies and mares at seven furlongs at Keeneland on April 5, Mandella said.

“It sounds like a good option,” Mandella said. “We’ll play it by ear.”

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