Micro Share gets class test in Tranquility Lake Stakes
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Bought for $450,000 as a 2-year-old in 2021, Micro Share has yet to live up to expectations.
But consecutive wins in allowance races at Pleasanton and Del Mar this summer have encouraged trainer Richard Mandella, who has entered Micro Share in Monday’s $100,000 Tranquility Lake Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on dirt at Del Mar.
“She’s a nice filly,” Mandella said. “She’s not the greatest filly in the world.”
The Tranquility Lake and the $125,000 Generous Portion Stakes for California-bred 2-year-old fillies are the two stakes on Monday’s 11-race program, which begins at 1:30 p.m. Pacific.
The Tranquility Lake will give Mandella and Micro Share’s owners, the MyRacehorse syndicate and Spendthrift Farm, an idea of where the filly fits in California’s female stakes division on dirt.
The Tranquility Lake, restricted to fillies and mares who have not won a stakes worth $50,000 or more to the winner at a mile or longer since Feb. 1, drew a field of six that includes Fun to Dream, winner of the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs last December at Santa Anita.
Fun to Dream, trained by Bob Baffert, has something to prove in the Tranquility Lake. After finishing a game second in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita in March, Fun to Dream did not start in the spring and early summer.
In her comeback in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 5 at Del Mar, Fun to Dream was as close as third on the turn before fading to finish fifth of six, beaten 8 1/4 lengths by stablemate Adare Manor, the division leader on the West Coast.
Micro Share was last of five in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks in April 2022, her final start that year. Earlier this year, she was beaten in three allowance races at Santa Anita in the winter and spring before a win at 1 1/16 miles on June 24 at Pleasanton when she repelled a challenge through the final furlong.
In an allowance race at a mile on Aug. 6 at Del Mar, Micro Share was always within a length of the front and pulled clear under jockey Mike Smith to win by 2 1/4 lengths.
“I thought that was a better race,” Mandella said. “Hopefully, we can keep her going.”
Tactically, Micro Share is likely to race as a stalker in the Tranquility Lake. Smith retains the mount.
“You could wind her up and have some speed,” Mandella said. “She settles nicely and finishes.”
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The Tranquility Lake field includes Trouville, who was second to Micro Share on Aug. 6 and won an allowance race on Aug. 31; Una Chiquitita, a Group 1 winner on dirt in Chile in 2022 who was a troubled ninth by 3 1/4 lengths in the Osunitas Stakes on turf July 22; and Yuki, a Group 2 stakes winner on dirt in Chile last year who won an allowance race on Aug. 5 at Del Mar in a 29-1 upset.
Generous Portion Stakes
Poor starts have cost the 2-year-old filly Crazy Hot chances for a stakes win in recent months. A few gate-schooling sessions and a change in jockeys to Mike Smith could lead to a different result in the Generous Portion Stakes at six furlongs.
At least, that’s the outlook championed by trainer Jeff Bonde who was upbeat Friday that Crazy Hot can replicate her maiden race win by 10 3/4 lengths at Santa Anita in May in her debut.
“She’s been fine in the gate,” he said. “It’s been one of those things.”
Bonde expects Smith to have Crazy Hot near the lead from an inside post in a field of seven in the Generous Portion Stakes.
“She’ll definitely be up close,” Bonde said. “She got away poorly last time.”
Crazy Hot led throughout her maiden race win. She was later third in the Fasig-Tipton Debutante at five furlongs at Santa Anita in June and the CTBA Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 6 at Del Mar when ridden by Geovanni Franco.
The task in the Generous Portion is slightly easier with the absence of Pushiness, winner of the CTBA Stakes, who is unbeaten in two starts. Pushiness is a candidate for the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 9.
Crazy Hot is one of two Bonde-trained runners in the Generous Portion along with Fly a Fantasy, who won her debut at Santa Anita in April, but was fifth of seven in the CTBA Stakes after sustaining a bump at the start.
“She got shuffled back real bad,” Bonde said. “It was too much to make up. We’re hoping for a little better going longer.”
Aside from the Bonde-trained runners, the only filly in the field with stakes experience is Putt for Dough, who was fourth in the CTBA Stakes. Blevys Tiger, Prancingthruparis, Talent for Gold, and Unified A. P. won maiden races in their last starts.
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