Santa Anita: Celestial Kitten may wind up on dirt

ARCADIA, Calif. – Celestial Kitten might be forced into her main-track debut in Saturday’s $75,000 Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita.

The one-mile race for fillies and mares is scheduled for a mile on turf, but rain is expected early Saturday. That could lead to a transfer of the race to the main track. Trainer Ben Cecil is willing to along with that.

“She might like it,” he said. “I might run her.”

What Cecil especially prefers is the race distance. Celestial Kitten won the restricted Spearfish Stakes over a mile on turf at Hollywood Park on Dec. 8, but returned to finish last of six in the Grade 2 Robert Frankel Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on turf here on Jan. 1.

“I wonder if she doesn’t want anything beyond a mile,” Cecil said.

Celestial Kitten must beat Wild Mia, who was second in the Grade 3 Monrovia Stakes on the hillside turf course on Jan. 2. Wild Mia won the Redondo Beach Stakes on turf last summer and was later second in the Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar on turf.[bc_video_id:242351:]

A 5-year-old mare, Wild Mia was transferred from trainer Tom Proctor to Jerry Fanning last year and made her first start for Fanning in the Monrovia. For Proctor, Wild Mia made one start on the main track. In her debut at 2 in September 2009, she finished fifth in a field of 12 in a five-furlong maiden race at Calder that was taken off the turf.

Aside from Celestial Kitten and Wild Mia, the Megahertz has drawn four other stakes winners. Equitana and Vamo a Galupiar were Group 1 winners in South America but were beaten in their first starts in this country.

It Tiz is the defending champion of the Megahertz, but is winless in five subsequent starts. Saturday’s race will determine the direction of the 5-year-old mare’s life.

“We’ll see if we can get her to rebound,” trainer Mark Glatt said. “If she can’t, she’ll go to the breeding shed.”

Megahertz S., Post Time: 1:31 PT Saturday

Purse: $75,000; 1 mile (T)

Post	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	ML Odds
	Equitana (BRZ)	A. Avila	C. Sutherland	9-2
	Pick and Pray	M. Perez	E. Maldonado	12-1
	It Tiz	M. Glatt	A. Quinonez	6-1
	Burg Berg	J. Gonzalez	M. Smith	8-1
	Celestial Kitten	B. Cecil	R. Bejarano	7-2
	Imperialistic Diva (IRE)	S. Callaghan	J. Rosario	6-1
	Vamo a Galupiar (CHI)	N. Drysdale	J. Talamo	4-1
	Wild Mia	J. Fanning	D. Flores	3-1