Oleksandra, Lighthouse hoping for better results in Wishing Well Stakes

The first encounter between Lighthouse and Oleksandra did not go as planned in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 9.

Jockey Joel Rosario, riding Oleksandra, clipped heels with Lighthouse shortly after the start, resulting in Rosario being unseated. Lighthouse finished third, but was disqualified and placed fifth for causing interference that led to the incident with Oleksandra.

The two meet again as part of a field of seven in Monday’s $75,000 Wishing Well Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf at Santa Anita.

The Wishing Well Stakes is restricted to fillies and mares who have not won a graded stakes since July 1. Oleksandra, trained by Neil Drysdale for the Team Valor International syndicate, won the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes at Belmont Park last June and was seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

Drysdale said on Saturday that Oleksandra is ready for what is essentially her first start of 2021.

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“I’m very pleased with her,” he said. “She didn’t encounter any ill effects from the incident.”

A 7-year-old Australian-bred mare, Oleksandra tends to run from off the pace. She starts from the outside post in the Wishing Well, and is expected to be well behind Superstition, who finished fourth in the Las Cienegas in her stakes debut and was promoted to third.

Since the Las Cienegas, Oleksandra has worked quickly at times on the infield training track.

Lighthouse won the Music City Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs at undulating Kentucky Downs in September in her final start of 2020. Trained by Simon Callaghan, Lighthouse will be ridden by Juan Hernandez, a replacement for Umberto Rispoli, who is suspended on Monday.

Hernandez is likely to have Lighthouse in a stalking position.

“She likes to be up there because she’s tough and has natural speed,” Callaghan said. “She doesn’t mind a battle.”

In the Las Cienegas, Lighthouse was second in the stretch, but could not make progress on race winner Charmaine’s Mia in the final furlong.

“I think she might have needed that race a little bit,” Callaghan said.

The Wishing Well is the stakes debut of Constantia, the winner of two allowance races at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf in January. Trained by John Sadler, Constantia has won three of her last four starts, all with Rispoli aboard. Jose Valdivia Jr. has the mount on Monday.

Aqua Seaform Shame, yet another former Rispoli mount, is a danger. A 4-year-old filly trained by Richard Baltas, Aqua Seaform Shame won an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf on Jan. 10, racing near the front before prevailing by a half-length.

Earlier in her career, Aqua Seaform Shame won consecutive starts in turf sprints at Del Mar when ridden by Ruben Fuentes, who regains the mount.

The field include Guitty, second in the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes at Del Mar last July, and So Much Happy, who was fourth in a starter-allowance race on Jan. 31 in her first start since June.