Sandra's Rose healthy again

DEL MAR, Calif. - Something did not seem right to trainer Mike Machowsky when Sandra's Rose finished fourth in the Great Lady M. Stakes at Hollywood Park on June 3. Second with a furlong remaining, failed to show her typical stretch run, losing by 2 1/2 lengths.

A postrace examination revealed a throat abscess, which led to a brief layoff. Friday at Del Mar, Sandra's Rose returns in the $85,000 Daisycutter Handicap for fillies and mares at five furlongs on turf.

After the treatment for the throat abscess, Machowsky is hopeful that Sandra's Rose can win her second stakes of the year in the Daisycutter.

Owned by Jess Jackson, Sandra's Rose has drawn the rail in the Daisycutter, which has six entrants.

The race has a clear front-runner in Starkay, who was second by a nose in the Great Lady M., her most recent start.

Trained by Roger Stein, Starkay was entered in an allowance race at Hollywood Park on July 3, but was withdrawn at post time when found to be bleeding from the nose, track stewards said. Starkay finished fifth, 2 3/4 lengths behind the victorious Sandra's Rose, in the Tuzla Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on May 12.

Sandra's Rose stalked the pace in the Tuzla, and Machowsky is banking on a similar trip for Sandra's Rose in the Daisycutter, hoping she can catch Starkay in a shorter race.

"The day she won at Hollywood, she came through on the rail," Machowsky said of Sandra's Rose. "Starkay will benefit from the five-eighths."

Machowsky said the throat abscess was on Sandra's Rose's epiglottis and was treated with antibiotics. "She's good now," Machowsky said. "She displaced badly and was making an awful noise" in the Great Lady M.

Allswellthatnswell, Champagne Girl, Cotorra, and The Yellow Sheet are the other starters.

The Yellow Sheet won an optional claimer at five furlongs on turf here last August, but is winless in her last five starts. Trained by Jenine Sahadi, The Yellow Sheet has not started since finishing fourth in the Wishing Well Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in January.

Allswellthatnswell is winless in seven starts this year, but has been second or third in her last five starts, all stakes. She was third in the Tuzla Stakes, missing by three-quarters of a length.

While the former claimer Champagne Girl will be a longshot, there will be support for Cotorra. Trained by Doug O'Neill, she finished second in an optional claimer at five furlongs on turf here last Friday.