Santa Monica likely to draw a compact field

ARCADIA, Calif. – Led by the Grade 1 winner Hard Not to Love, Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita will have a small field.

As of Sunday, the list of candidates included Mother Mother and Lady Ninja, who were first and second in the Kalookan Queen Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on Jan. 12. The $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes is run at seven furlongs.

Road Rager, third in an optional claimer on Jan. 31, and Zusha, third in the Grade 3 La Canada Stakes on Jan. 11, may start, their trainers said.

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Hard Not to Love won the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at seven furlongs for 3-year-old fillies here on Dec. 28.

The Santa Monica drew 13 nominations, but multiple stakes winners such as Queen Bee to You and Spiced Perfection are more likely to start in Sunday’s $100,000 Spring Fever Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at six furlongs, their trainers said.

Spiced Perfection is also under consideration for the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs at Laurel on Saturday, according to trainer Peter Miller.

Trainer Rodolphe Brisset said he in a text message on Sunday that he is unlikely to send the stakes-placed runners Boujie Girl and Knarsdale from his winter base in Florida.