Second in Santa Ysabel would be success for Not Now Carolyn

ARCADIA, Calif. – Not Now Carolyn joined trainer Keith Desormeaux’s stable at the beginning of the year after losses in two maiden races for sprinters. Two months later, she is a winner bound for a graded stakes.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that Not Now Carolyn’s stakes debut is in Saturday’s $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita. The race has drawn Songbird, the unbeaten champion 2-year-old filly of 2015.

Desormeaux is not deterred. The Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles fits Not Now Carolyn’s schedule.

“I’ve got to go,” he said. “We’re not afraid to run in stakes. We didn’t expect to run against Songbird.”

Not Now Carolyn is by top sire Tapit and is out of Maryfield, the 2007 Eclipse Award winner as outstanding female sprinter. Not Now Carolyn was seventh and ninth in sprints for trainer Eric Guillot last November and December before being privately acquired by a partnership that includes Big Chief Stable and Don’t Tell My Wife Stable.

In her first start for her new connections, Not Now Carolyn led throughout a maiden special weight race at a mile Jan. 28, winning by 1 1/2 lengths.

“Her maiden [race] was enough for me to be optimistic,” Desormeaux said.

In recent weeks, Desormeaux has tried to coax Not Now Carolyn into being a patient filly in everyday exercise. Songbird races near the front, and Desormeaux does not want to see Not Now Carolyn lose her chance in a speed duel.

The Santa Ysabel has a projected field of six, including Code Warrior, Jade Princess, Land Over Sea, and Street Fancy.

Desormeaux knows that Not Now Carolyn faces a daunting task against Songbird, which is why a placing in a graded stakes would be considered a success.

“It’s not always about winning,” he said. “It’s a progression of where we want to be. If we could run second to the champion, that would be wonderful.”