Meet's first juvenile race, allowance sprint on tap Friday

ARCADIA, Calif. – The first 2-year-old race of the meet and a compelling allowance for older sprinters are on tap Friday at Santa Anita, sandwiched around a simulcast program that includes a brewing Kentucky Oaks win by California-based Midnight Bisou.

Maiden 2-year-old fillies sprint 4 1/2 furlongs in the Santa Anita opener, and a small but strong field of older males goes 5 1/2 furlongs in race 8. A bonus on the nine-race card is a standout maiden in the finale.

Race 1 includes the career debut of the Doug O’Neill-trained Quant Savant, a Square Eddie filly expected to start favored over six other California-bred juvenile fillies. Based on her final workout, a half-mile from the gate, Quant Savant should be tough to beat.

Quant Savant broke like a shot, opened up on a slow-starting rival, and was timed in 49 seconds. The manner in which Quant Savant worked was more revealing than the final time.

On Friday, Quant Savant breaks from the outside post in the seven-runner field. Rivals include the Gary Sherlock-trained Time for Kisses and the Ed Freeman-trained Rolinga. Over the past three spring seasons at Santa Anita, Freeman is 3 for 8 with debuting 2-year-olds. The winners returned $15.60, $52.40, and $50.40.

Race 8 is a first-level allowance sprint featuring the comeback of two highly regarded 3-year-olds whose careers stalled at age 2.

Argosy Fleet won his debut, finished second in the Santa Anita Juvenile Stakes, then disappeared. He returns Friday for a new trainer, Bill Spawr, who will watch the Santa Anita feature from Kentucky, where he starts Midnight Bisou in the Oaks.

Serengeti scored a smashing maiden victory in June, finished sixth as the favorite in the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar, then was sidelined. He returns with a series of fast works for Bob Baffert, who also starts the stylish debut winner Most Amusing.

Kidmon, a 4-year-old by Lemon Drop Kid and a sibling to three graded turf-stakes winners, seeks his second straight win as a leading contender, while Stone Hands enters with the top figures – 91 and 90 Beyer Speed Figures as the runner-up in two recent first-level allowance sprints.

Race 9 includes a maiden filly likely to be one of the most heavily favored runners on the card. Loving Moment, a runner-up by a head last out, returns in a one-mile turf race for 3-year-old maiden fillies. If she runs as well as last out, she will be tough to beat.