Nasty looks to rebound with more ground in Osunitas Handicap
Nasty ran the best race of her career and one of the worst races of her career in two starts separated by more than five months at Santa Anita’s winter-spring meeting.
A win in the $75,000 Lady of Shamrock Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf last December was followed by a last-place finish in a field of eight in the Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf June 5.
The Monrovia loss is best forgotten in advance of Nasty’s appearance in Saturday’s $80,000 Osunitas Handicap for fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Del Mar, trainer Richard Baltas said Thursday.
“I thought she was so quick she would sprint,” he said. “Maybe she wants that tactical mile. We’ll go back to what is working before.”
The Osunitas, restricted to nonwinners of a stakes worth $50,000 or more to the winner at a mile or longer since Sept. 1, drew a field of nine. Several runners ran well in stakes on turf in recent months at Santa Anita.
Sedamar was a game second in the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes at a mile in January. Tapwater was third in the Grade 3 Santa Barbara Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on May 8. Brooke and the Baltas-trained Ippodamia’s Girl were third and fourth in the Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes at a mile on June 20.
Nasty and Tapwater are owned by Larry, Nancy, and Jaime Roth’s LNJ Foxwoods Stable.
Nasty, a winner of 3 of 9 starts, recovered quickly from the loss in the Monrovia, Baltas said.
“I think she’s going to run really well,” Baltas said. “She’s got her weight on and is working great.”
Tapwater ran in the longest race of her career in the Santa Barbara. Trained by Richard Mandella, Tapwater was fourth against a strong field in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes at a mile on turf on April 3 when ridden by Mike Smith, who has the mount in the Osunitas.
Brooke won the Group 1 Chilean Oaks in 2019 and was imported from South America last year. In the Wilshire, Brooke was beaten 1 1/2 lengths by multiple stakes winner Warren’s Showtime.
“It seems like she’s come forward a bit off that race,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “Hopefully, we can do a little better.”
