Miller, Prat have chance to pad leads

ARCADIA, Calif. – Turf-allowance races come in all shapes and sizes, such as the co-features Thursday at Santa Anita – a 6 1/2-furlong downhill sprint for fillies and mares and a 1 1/4-mile endurance test.

The meet’s leading trainer, Peter Miller, and leading jockey, Flavien Prat, are principal contestants in the Thursday features.

Race 2 is a downhill sprint in which Pearl de Vere, a horse-for-course veteran reclaimed by Miller, is the one to beat. Her rivals in the optional $40,000 claiming race include Ceeme Run Wild and Where’s the D.

Race 7 is a 1 1/4-mile scramble, with Prat riding Mission Driven. Third in his local debut, he stretches out from nine furlongs in the optional $40,000 claiming race. Mission Driven’s rivals include Tusk, Little Scotty, and stablemate Liam the Charmer.

The forecast called for rain early in the week, but clear skies were expected by midweek. That would be welcome. During the first five weeks of the meet, two race cards were canceled due to rain; 16 races scheduled for turf have been run instead on the main track.

Race 2 contender Pearl de Vere is another in a long list of contenders trained by Miller, whose 2016-17 winter meet is off to a huge start relative to the previous winter. A year ago through the first week of February, Miller was 9 for 62 (14 percent). This winter, Miller is on fire. He is 14 for 53 (26 percent).

Pearl de Vere finished last of nine Dec. 30 in a race moved from turf to a wet-fast main track. Miller, who won three races with Pearl de Vere before she was claimed last fall, reached in and reclaimed her for $32,000. The 7-year-old mare is reunited with Kent Desormeaux.

Ceeme Run Wild and Where’s the D are the other race 2 entrants with a win on the hill. Ceeme Run Wild scored a maiden upset for Jerry Hollendorfer here Jan. 16 in her first race in more than a year. Where’s the D, an allowance winner here last spring, returns from a layoff for trainer Peter Eurton.

Race 7 is a scramble, though bettors could do worse that simply backing Prat. Prat has almost twice the number of turf wins (nine) as any rider and has replaced Rafael Bejarano as the dominant jockey on the Southern California circuit.

Prat rides Mission Driven, third by a neck in his California debut and first race for trainer Michael McCarthy. That race was 1 1/8 miles. The only time Mission Driven raced 1 1/4 miles, the distance he runs Thursday, he finished second in a Belmont Park allowance race that produced four next-out winners.

Tusk, Grade 3-placed last year at 3, makes his second start back from a layoff. Cardiac will contest the pace; Liam the Charmer will be running late.