Santa Anita: Moulin de Mougin just starting to hit her stride

ARCADIA, Calif. – Moulin de Mougin fooled trainer Richard Mandella at the start of her career.

When she made her debut in 2012, Moulin de Mougin ran in sprints, mostly on turf. The thinking was she could emulate her dam, Cambiocorsa, a multiple stakes winner in turf sprints.

But Moulin de Mougin has turned out to be different than her dam. By Curlin, Moulin de Mougin won an allowance race over 1 1/8 miles on turf on Feb. 9 and is a contender to win race 6 at Santa Anita on Friday, a $60,000 allowance race for fillies and mares over the same distance on turf.

“I think she wants further,” Mandella said. “I think she’s a mare that’s improving.”

Owned by Ran Jan Racing, the 4-year-old Moulin de Mougin has won 2 of 8 starts. She was second in a one-mile allowance race on turf on Jan. 18 in her first start of 2014. Her late development is not a surprise to Mandella.

“She needed to grow and mature,” Mandella said. “She’s trained better and looks better.”

The allowance race drew a field of 10, but will be limited to nine starters since the temporary rails will be 24 feet out from the permanent position.

Moulin de Mougin is expected to go favored, although there will be considerable support for Rhagori, who won her American debut in an optional claimer over a mile on turf on March 7. In England, Rhagori won four minor races.

Trainer Simon Callaghan expects further improvement from the 5-year-old Rhagori.

“I think the extra distance should help her,” Callaghan said. “I thought she’d be a stakes-caliber filly. It’s not until you run in these races that you get an indication of whether that will happen.”

The field also includes the stakes winners Charlie Em, Chokecherymary and High Jinks, and the stakes-placed Viva Carina and Wittgenstein.

◗ In Friday’s seventh race, the 4-year-old filly My Sweet Addiction starts for the first time since June in an optional claimer over six furlongs. My Sweet Addiction, a Tiznow filly trained by Marty Jones, is part of a field of seven.

My Sweet Addiction has worked quickly at Los Alamitos for her comeback, which Jones thinks could be over the filly’s minimum distance. She did win at six furlongs at Hollywood Park last summer.

“She’s bred to go longer,” Jones said. “I know she won going three-quarters. She trains like a nice filly.”

My Sweet Addiction runs from off the pace and must catch recent winners Seattle Charlie and Sidebar.