Shocking Grey, the 6-year-old mare entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at Santa Anita, was briefly at the center of attention in California racing in mid-January. Shocking Grey won the first stakes of her career in the $126,500 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Jan. 18 in her 14th start. Three days later, she was purchased for $170,000 at the California winter mixed sale in Pomona, the most expensive hip of the one-day auction. Since the purchase, Shocking Grey has earned a mere $7,226 in two starts, but the manner of her fourth-place finish by a length in an allowance race against open company on the hillside turf course on April 5 has left trainer George Papaprodromou hopeful that the one-mile distance of the Fran’s Valentine is a realistic goal. :: Santa Anita Clocker Reports are available every race day. Access now. “The other day, she was a little far back,” Papaprodromou said on Friday. “Turning for home, she had to swing wide and she finished well. The extra distance should help her. I think she’ll like it.” Owned by Rockingham Ranch, Shocking Grey has won 3 of 16 starts. Her first two wins were at a mile on turf in consecutive starts against California-bred fillies and mares in a maiden race and an allowance race in January 2023. Shocking Grey, trained for much of her career by Jeff Mullins for owner and breeder Don Valpredo, lost her next eight starts before recording a minor upset at 8-1 in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf. Valpredo died last fall. His racing and breeding stock was dispersed at the January sale. In the Fran’s Valentine Stakes, Shocking Grey is part of a field of seven that includes the Papaprodromou-trained Sneaker, who was third in the Grade 3 Royal Heroine Stakes at a mile on turf on April 26; and Prancingthruparis, who won the Irish O’Brien Stakes for statebred fillies and mares on the hillside turf course in her last start on March 16. Shocking Grey was fifth by 3 1/4 lengths in the Irish O’Brien. Papaprodromou rates Sneaker as a filly who is “going to be tough” in the Fran’s Valentine. “Sneaker is doing great. She got into a little trouble on the first turn last time and got tied up a bit,” he said. “She ran against open company and ran a good race. Now, against Cal-breds, it will be easier.” Later on Saturday, Papaprodromou starts Clouseau in the $100,000 Crystal Water Stakes for statebreds at a mile on turf. Clouseau won for the first time on turf in an allowance race for statebreds on April 26, his first start since being claimed for $20,000 on March 14 by the Giddyup Jr LLC partnership. “He couldn’t be training any better,” Papaprodromou said. “He ran a good race the other day. The horse won. We thought, he’s a Cal-bred. Let’s give it a shot.” Clouseau has a tough assignment against Kings River Knight, who won the Crystal Water in 2023 and last year. On Monday, Papaprodromou starts Cabo Spirit in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on turf. Cabo Spirit, a winner of 6 of 33 starts, won the Grade 3 American Stakes at a mile on turf on April 20 to end a five-race losing streak. The Shoemaker Mile drew a field of nine. Cabo Spirit, who will be ridden by Frankie Dettori, is likely to be near the front along with Goliad, a three-time stakes winner who has not raced since a ninth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar in November. They have the two outside post positions. “I know Goliad is sort of a run-off horse,” Papaprodromou said. “I’ll leave it to Frankie. If he’s faster than us, we’ll see what happens.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.