Mrs. Astor seeks repeat in Red Carpet as career draws to a close
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One year after winning her first stakes, Mrs. Astor will try to turn back time Sunday at Del Mar by becoming the first repeat winner of the Grade 3 Red Carpet Stakes.
Ten fillies and mares entered the 1 3/8-mile turf race that was the first of four stakes wins by Mrs. Astor. But the 5-year-old mare’s career is winding down, and neither recent stakes start met her high standards. She won by a nose at odds-on and finished third at even money.
Trainer Jonathan Thomas believes Mrs. Astor benefits from a break since her most recent start three months ago.
“She had a pretty long campaign and showed up in a lot of races, but I thought she ran a touch subpar, for her, at Del Mar over the summer,” Thomas said. “We thought we’d regroup and start again, kind of like we did last year.”
Mrs. Astor is running out of chances and will be become a broodmare next spring.
“The plan for her is to get bred as a 6-year-old, so I think we’ve got until around January to run,” Thomas said.
Mrs. Astor’s career finale is likely to be at Santa Anita early this winter. As for the Red Carpet, Thomas is not concerned about her three-month layoff.
“She’s got a ton of bottom underneath her,” Thomas said. “She naturally kind of keeps herself in trim shape, so I’m not really too worried about the break. If anything, I think it’s been more helpful than not.”
Mrs. Astor employs a pressing style that should allow her to be forwardly placed in a marathon with a murky pace scenario. None in the field are front-runners. If jockey Umberto Rispoli can guide Mrs. Astor to a forward position pressing easy fractions, she will be in the right spot to pounce. Mrs. Astor, by Lookin At Lucky, has won six races and $507,235 from 20 starts.
The main rival for Mrs. Astor is Public Assembly, who recently faced tougher and is proven at long distances. Phil D’Amato trains Public Assembly, who won the Grade 3 Royal Heroine early this year racing one mile at Santa Anita. She has won at 1 1/4 miles and 1 5/16 miles. Antonio Fresu rides Public Assembly.
Favorites repeatedly fall short in the Red Carpet at Del Mar, winning just 1 of 11. Meanwhile, five Red Carpet winners have paid more than $20. Those include 2019 winner Zuzanna ($48.20) and Three Hearts ($61.40) in 2014.
Others in the Red Carpet will try to extend the streak of longshot winners. Venganza is rounding into form but unproven at the marathon trip. Will Then, a stakes-winning stablemate of Mrs. Astor, was supplemented to the Red Carpet, which will be the 3-year-old filly’s first start against older fillies and mares.
The field also includes Mahina, Hey Jessie, Paradise Lake, Sun Of Hill, Cornelia Fort, and Musical Rhapsody.
Racing continues Monday at Del Mar. The nine-race Monday card replaces the Friday, Nov. 21, program that was canceled because of rain and track condition.
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