Santa Anita: Mum, Day of Fury try to improve second time out

ARCADIA, Calif. – Perhaps a Derby or Oaks candidate will race Thursday at Santa Anita. If so, he or she has some catching up to do.

Two routes for 3-year-old maidens highlight an otherwise modest card – fillies go 1 1/16 miles in race 2; colts and geldings go the same distance in race 6. Each race includes a contender ridden by Mike Smith trying to make amends second time out.

Richard Mandella trains Mum, a Tapit filly pounded to favoritism racing six furlongs in her Dec. 29 debut. Mum was void of speed, raced evenly, and finished third. Although she lost by 10, her energetic gallop-out suggested she was just getting warmed up.

“She’ll probably be better going farther,” Mandella said after the sprint.

Thursday, she gets that chance stretching to two turns in race 2. Smith is back aboard Mum, whose main rival is Sweet Bliss, a closing fifth after a slow start in her career debut sprinting on turf.

Exclusive Girl, Lady Bugatti, and Candy Eye also entered the route for maiden fillies that drew a field of five.

Later, a large field of maiden colts and geldings, including another second-time starter seeking amends, will go 1 1/16 miles in race 6.

Bob Baffert trains three of the 10 entrants, including Day of Fury, whose debut 13 days ago was quite an adventure. Favored off flashy works, Day of Fury broke slowly from the outside in the route. When Smith tried to rate Day of Fury, the colt wanted none of it. He took off.

Day of Fury tossed his head, raced greenly, tried to bolt on the first turn, and finished sixth. It was odd. Day of Fury, a son of Street Sense, always minded his manners in workouts.

“He’d never done that before,” Baffert said. “I probably should have run him short” first out.

Day of Fury worked an easy half-mile Saturday, mainly to practice going left.

“I just worked him around the turns,” Baffert said.

Smith is back aboard Day of Fury, who is likely to produce more speed second time out breaking from the rail.

Day of Fury is owned by Baffert’s wife, Jill; two other Baffert-trained runners also have a chance. Hoppertunity, a sibling to Grade 1 winner Executiveprivilege, finished fifth in his debut at seven furlongs.

“He’s steady, he’s not as quick,” Baffert said. “He’s probably going to need farther.”

Baffert also entered Icy Ride, a fourth-place finisher in back-to-back routes. He drew the outside post in the field of 10.

“He’s sort of one-paced,” Baffert said.

Another contender in race 6 is stretch-out Snuggley Bear, in the money in five straight sprints. Completing the field are Como Me Padre, Arkenstone, Even Echo, Magna Warrior, Rident, and Kimnjet.