Piedi Bianchi, Donworth give O'Neill a shot at two Grade 1's

Piedi Bianchi and Donworth will be trainer Doug O’Neill’s runners in Grade 1 races Sept. 30 at Santa Anita, an important program in the buildup to the Breeders’ Cup races at Del Mar on Nov. 3-4.

Piedi Bianchi, a 2-year-old filly, was beaten a half-length in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs Sept. 2. She closed steadily through the final quarter-mile, leaving the ever-optimistic O’Neill expecting a winning race in the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita.

“She’s seems like she’s getting a little better with each start,” O’Neill said Friday. “She’s got a great mind, and I don’t think distance will be a problem.”

Piedi Bianchi will be among the favorites in the $300,000 Chandelier. Moonshine Memories, who won the Del Mar Debutante, is scheduled to have her next start in the BC Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 4 at Del Mar. The winner of the Chandelier will receive a fees-paid berth to the BC Juvenile Fillies.

A win by Donworth in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at 1 1/8 miles would be more of a surprise. Donworth was a well-beaten second to Accelerate in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on July 22 at Del Mar and finished last of seven in the $1 million Pacific Classic.

A 5-year-old, Donworth will be fitted with blinkers for the first time in the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes.

“He’s always a horse we’ve been real impressed with,” O’Neill said. “We’ve been trying different things. We’ll put the blinkers on and let him run.”

Friday at Santa Anita, Donworth worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 while wearing blinkers.

The winner of the Awesome Again Stakes receives a fees-paid berth for the BC Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 4.

There are three other Grade 1 stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 30 with automatic berths to Breeders’ Cup races for the winners – the FrontRunner Stakes for 2-year-olds (leading to the BC Juvenile), Zenyatta Stakes for fillies and mares (BC Distaff), and Rodeo Drive Stakes for fillies and mares on turf (BC Filly and Mare Turf).