Seeking the Heart shops for right spot

DEL MAR, Calif. - will start on Monday or Wednesday in an allowance race on turf at Del Mar.

In Monday's seventh race over a mile, she has drawn the rail against older fillies and mares. But she could instead run in an allowance race for 3-year-olds on Wednesday, if the race draws sufficient entries.

Seeking the Heart has one victory in four starts, a maiden race at Hollywood Park on July 10. Trained by Richard Mandella, she returned to finish third against older fillies and mares over 1 1/16 miles on turf here Aug. 2.

Mandella hesitated slightly when asked about Seeking the Heart's chances in Monday's race. "She might want a little farther," he said.

Monday's race has drawn an oversubscribed field of 12. Because of the narrowness of the course, there is a safety limit of 10 starters.

None of the entrants in the main body of the race won their last start. Ballistic Angel, who won a statebred optional claimer on Aug. 18, is on the also-eligible list.

Two intriguing runners are making their first starts of the year - Summer Scene and Well Done My Love.

Summer Scene, trained by Bobby Frankel, is also making her turf debut. She was ninth in the 2002 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct, and finished 10th in an allowance race at Saratoga last summer in her only start of 2003.

Well Done My Love, stakes-placed in France last year, has not run since finishing seventh in an allowance race at Hollywood Park in December. Trained by Dan Hendricks, Well Done My Love was eighth in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks here last summer.

Seeking the Heart will attract considerable support, if she starts, as will Navaja. Trained by Roger Stein, who is seeking his first win of the year, Navaja is a New Zealand-bred filly who was a game second in an allowance race over 1 1/16 miles on turf Aug. 18. In that race, Navaja rallied from fifth and missed catching the winner, Conspiring, by three-quarters of a length. Navaja is winless in eight starts in New Zealand and California this year.

Shadow of Mine has raced in some of the division's top races. Last year, she was 12th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and fifth in the Grade 3 Miesque Stakes and Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante.

Shadow of Mine is winless in three 2004 starts, including a fifth in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap here on July 31.