Mangita out to end string of seconds

ARCADIA, Calif. – Mangita was a $16,000 claimer in 2013, a 3-year-old filly with seemingly little future in lucrative races.

When she was tried on turf at Santa Anita last December, Mangita ran second in an optional claimer for California-breds. Her career has not been the same since.

Mangita ran second in her next three starts, all in statebred allowance or optional-claiming races on turf. She can break that string of losses in an optional claimer for California-bred fillies and mares at Santa Anita on Thursday. The turf race is run over a mile and drew a field of seven.

Mangita races for breeders Andrew and Irwin Molasky and Bruce Headley, who trains the filly by Cyclotron. Mangita tends to run near the front and will have company in that position Thursday.

Karen Headley, assistant to her father, Bruce, said Mangita is not reliant on having the lead.

“She’ll rate,” Headley said. “She’s a different filly in the morning than the afternoon. She’s never been a good workhorse. She tries every step of the way.”

Mangita was second by a nose in an allowance race for California-bred fillies and mares on Feb. 20. On March 21, she was favored to win an optional claimer for California-bred fillies and mares over a mile and was beaten 1 3/4 lengths by Magic Spot.

On Thursday, Mangita will be ridden by Aaron Gryder, who was aboard for the nose loss and second-place finishes in December and January. Gryder is likely to have Mangita behind Miss Loujean and Irenes Jackpot, who start from the inside two posts and have shown speed.

The field includes Water Issues, who won a starter allowance from the front April 4 after setting a modest pace, and Highly Rated, who will show speed. Highly Rated is entered to be claimed for $20,000.

The closers are Van Dien Avenue, who beat maidens March 29, and Tiz a Kiss, eighth in her first start of 2014 in an optional claimer on the hillside turf course April 10.

Last summer at Del Mar, Tiz a Kiss won a maiden race on the Polytrack synthetic surface and was second in an optional claimer for California-bred fillies and mares in her turf debut.

Tiz a Kiss’s eighth-place finish in her last race came in her first start since September. Trainer John Sadler described the race as “kind of a prep.”

“She finished well,” he said. “I think she’ll run really well. We know she can go long.”