Miss Sunset possible for Santa Monica, Madison stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Miss Sunset beat California-breds in the $100,000 Spring Fever Stakes for female sprinters at Santa Anita last Sunday, her seventh stakes win. Chances are Miss Sunset will race in a graded stakes in early spring.

On Thursday, trainer Jeff Bonde said he is considering two seven-furlong races for Miss Sunset – the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita on March 24 or the Grade 1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland on April 7.

In either race, Miss Sunset will face a stern test.

“You can’t hide,” he said.

Owned by Alan Klein and Philip Lebherz, Miss Sunset has won 8 of 14 starts and earned $678,735. Last October, she won the most prestigious race of her career in the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Keeneland. In the Spring Fever, Miss Sunset led throughout under Mike Smith to finish 2 1/2 lengths in front of Cuddle Alert.

Bonde said he is not in a hurry to plan Miss Sunset’s next start.

“She came out of the race well,” Bonde said. “She likes her races to be spaced. She’s not a big horse.”