Santa Anita notes: Nashoba's Gold eyes Providencia

ARCADIA, Calif. - Nashoba’s Gold, winner of a maiden race over 1 1/8 miles on turf in her debut last Saturday, will be pointed to the $150,000 Providencia Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on April 5, with a possible prep race in the interim, trainer Carla Gaines said Wednesday.

Owned by breeder Warren Williamson, Nashoba’s Gold is a half-sister to the six-time stakes winner Nashoba’s Key, who raced for Williamson and Gaines. Nashoba’s Key was a finalist for the outstanding turf female of 2007. Sadly, she was euthanized after suffering a severe leg injury in her stall on the Hollywood Park backstretch in May 2008.

Gaines said that Nashoba’s Gold could start at a mile in her next race, even though she thinks her potential will be fulfilled over longer distances.

“I would feel comfortable running her at a mile,” she said.

Long-distance runner

Friday, Gaines is taking a cautious approach to the chances of Valtari in an optional claimer over 1 1/2 miles on turf.

Valtari will start in the longest race of his career Friday, having finished third in an optional claimer over 1 1/4 miles on turf Jan. 17. Since that race, Valtari has battled a foot abscess, which subsided in recent days, Gaines said.

“How often do you get a race like this?” she said. “We think this will be a good distance for him.”

Valtari, who races for Santa Anita chairman Keith Brackpool, is part of a field of nine. The race includes Money Clip, a half-brother to the multiple stakes winners Keertana (who earned $1,031,938) and Snow Top Mountain ($525,303).

Money Clip races for Glen Hill Farm and trainer Tom Proctor. The 4-year-old gelding was seventh in a one-mile allowance race on turf on Jan. 5 after a slow start.

Stakes winners galore

Saturday’s $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes for fillies and mares is expected to include six stakes winners in a projected field of seven – Fiftyshadesofhay, Golden Production, Iotapa, Let Faith Arise, Ondine, and Stanwyck.

The only horse among the probable starters without a stakes win is Yahilwa, who makes her first stakes start in the Grade 2 Santa Maria over 1 1/16 miles on dirt. Yahilwa began her career in England and was fourth in her U.S. debut on Jan. 26.