Short price only knock on Dreamologist in Arboretum II Stakes
Dreamologist will be shooting for the hat trick when she runs in the $75,000 Arboretum II at Santa Anita on Friday. Considering her sharp form and the likely shape of the race, she should get it. She is the only speed in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint on the hillside turf course that drew nine fillies and mares and will be a handful if she breaks alertly with Flavien Prat aboard.
Trained by Richard Mandella, Dreamologist will not be much of a price, though. The 4-year-old Dreamologist has been favored in five of her six starts. The only time she wasn’t the public’s choice was in the Grade 3 Autumn Miss in just her third start. She set a wicked pace in that one-mile race before fading to ninth.
In her latest win, in a second-level optional $62,500 claiming sprint that was washed off the turf Feb. 19, she broke on top and never got out of second gear, cruising to a 3 1/2-length romp over Little Bit Lovely. In her previous win coming down the hill in a first-level optional $40,000 claiming race Jan. 16, she rallied from off the pace to win going away. That was the only time Dreamologist didn’t have the lead at the first two calls.
Mandella likes the way she is maturing.
“She’s getting more professional all the time,” he said. “She has a lot of natural talent and is starting to develop into a really nice filly. She has won going long, but right now, she has a better mind for sprinting. There isn’t a lot of speed in the field, so I expect she’ll be in front.”
Arboretum II, Race 7
KEY CONTENDERS
Dreamologist, by Tapit
Last 3 Beyers: 86-85-81
◗ Razor sharp, and as the only speed in the field, she will be tough to handle. The regally bred filly is out of Dreaming of Anna, who won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and earned more than $2 million.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Dreamologist. Won her last start down the hill Jan. 16, beating 11 runners; since that race, the horses she beat have a 14-0-1-2 record combined, with eight at odds lower than 5-1 and three losing favorites. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Miss Double d’Oro, by Medaglia d’Oro
Last 3 Beyers: 81-80-81
◗ Her lack of speed won’t help her, but she shouldn’t mind the move back to a sprint after a solid effort going 1 1/8 miles in a second-level optional $62,500 claiming race Feb. 5.
Trained by Neil Drysdale, she has a win and a runner-up finish in two starts over this course.
Tesalina, by Fusaichi Pegasus
Last 3 Beyers: 89-83-76
◗ A winner at the distance in Chile, she could fire fresh for trainer Wesley Ward, who over the past five years has an 18 percent strike rate with horses coming back in between 61 and 180 days.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 My Year Is a Day. Trainer Phil D’Amato is 31-7-4-9 with a $3.85 ROI over the past five years going route to sprint on turf at Santa Anita. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan