Santa Anita: Power Ped looks to take next step forward in Thursday turf feature

ARCADIA, Calif. – Power Ped is 10 starts into his career, and showing the promise that makes trainer Richard Mandella think the gelding could have a big season.

“He shows talent,” Mandella said. “We’ll have to see how good he gets.”

Mandella was encouraged when Power Ped won a first-level allowance over 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita on Feb. 1. The victory has led to a start in a second-level optional $62,500 claimer over the same distance in Thursday’s seventh race.

The optional claimer is the second of two turf races on Thursday, the first grass races at Santa Anita since Feb. 23. Wet weather last weekend forced turf races to the main track and gave the turf course its first extensive rest since the meeting began on Dec. 26.

The break in turf racing could be beneficial since the track will remain open until June 29 this year. Santa Anita has absorbed much of the former spring-summer meeting conducted at Hollywood Park, which was closed for development last December.

Power Ped is part of a field of eight. The temporary rails will be set 30 feet from the permanent position, reducing the width of the course.

Power Ped, by Powerscourt, races for Stepaside Farms. He beat maidens in his seventh start, which came start last September, and was sixth and ninth in two subsequent starts before rebounding on Feb. 1.

French jockey Flavien Prat rode Power Ped on Feb. 1 during a winter stay in California, but has since gone back to France. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will ride Power Ped for the first time.

“He’s training great,” Mandella said. “He ran very well the other day. He relaxed and settled and made a nice move. Flavien did a good job. I wish I still had him. But I’ve got Mike Smith.”

The field includes Artic North, third in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes on Jan. 4; Ever Rider, a Group 2 winner in Argentina last year; Dreamy Kid, who won the Grade 2 Swaps Stakes on dirt in July 2011; and Spring Up, fifth in the Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 18.

Trainer Peter Miller said a win would be a confidence boost for Artic North.

“We tried him in some stakes and he ran well,” Miller said. “We’d like to get the W.”