Santa Anita: Distance suits Scooter Bird and Level Headed

ARCADIA, Calif. – Scooter Bird and Level Headed will each start at 1 1/4 miles on turf for the first time in an optional claimer at Santa Anita on Friday. The $58,000 race is for fillies and mares and has a $40,000 claiming option.

For both runners, the long distance could be ideal.

Scooter Bird, owned by Hronis Racing, beat maidens at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Hollywood Park last May. In her only other start at the distance, she was fourth, beaten 1 3/4 lengths, when racing in traffic in an optional claimer at Santa Anita in October.

“We’ve been waiting for a long-distance race,” trainer John Sadler said. “We think she wants to run farther.”

Level Headed races for trainer Tom Proctor and Glen Hill Farm. A 5-year-old mare, Level Headed beat maidens in a one-mile maiden race at Hollywood Park in November 2012, but was winless in four starts last year. Level Headed was second in an allowance race over 1 1/16 miles on turf at Hollywood Park on Dec. 21.

“I think she can run well on Friday,” Proctor said.

Proctor’s stable is off to an excellent start at the meeting, having won 4 races from 13 starts.

“I had some horses lined up in good spots,” he said.

Level Headed and Scooter Bird have drawn the outside two post positions in a field of eight.

Scooter Bird has not started since October. Sadler said opportunities for longer races such as Friday’s optional claimer are rare.

“Sometimes you don’t have a lot of choices,” Sadler said. “We think she has good upside. I hope she’ll be a good older racehorse.”

None of the eight runners won her last race, but Passionate Diva and Sweet Tess have run well recently.

Passionate Diva, trained by Doug O’Neill, won a maiden race over a mile on turf in October before finishing fourth in an optional claimer on the synthetic main track at Hollywood Park on Nov. 29. Backintheacademy and Prettypriceygirl, second and third in the Nov. 29 race, are part of Friday’s field.

Sweet Tess, trained by Paddy Gallagher, was a troubled fourth behind Level Headed in the allowance race on Dec. 21. Sweet Tess won a maiden race at Golden Gate Fields last January and was later third in the California Oaks at that track. Friday’s race will be the longest start of her career.