Singing Kitty meets Majestic Heat in Solana Beach

DEL MAR, Calif. – Not every claim turns out as well as Singing Kitty, who has won three stakes and $315,290 since trainer Matt Chew claimed her for $32,000 almost two years ago.

“Once in a while, you get lucky,” Chew said.

Not every case of colic turns out as minor as Majestic Heat, who was scratched from a Grade 2 race last month. Sometimes you get lucky. “It was just an upset stomach,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “She came out of it as soon as I scratched her.”

Singing Kitty and Majestic Heat meet Sunday at Del Mar as top choices in the $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes. While handicappers will appreciate the challenge of separating two evenly matched fillies, Chew would rather Singing Kitty face an easier rival.

“I would feel a lot better about things if [Majestic Heat] wasn’t in there,” Chew said.

Eleven fillies and mares entered the Solana Beach, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for California-breds. Singing Kitty targeted the stakes all summer; Majestic Heat will use it to jump-start a campaign that was derailed last month.

Other contenders include the stakes-placed Lily Kai, the improving Barbara Beatrice and the stakes-winning sprinter My Fiona. The Solana Beach is race 8 on the nine-race card.

KEY CONTENDERS

Singing Kitty, by Ministers Wild Cat

Last 3 Beyers: 91-84-89

◗ Though she lost seven straight, Singing Kitty fires in every start. “The nice thing about this filly is she shows up and always runs her race,” Chew said. “She’s been pretty consistent and has been hooking some pretty nice horses.”

◗ Based on her third-place allowance finish last out behind stakes winners Avenge and Fanticola, one could argue that Singing Kitty is the sharpest in the field.

“She’s going into the race as good as we can have her,” Chew said. “She’ll run her race.”

◗ Singing Kitty’s three stakes wins were in 2015 at Santa Anita – the California Cup Oaks and China Doll around two turns and the Unzip Me on the downhill course. Rafael Bejarano rides.

Majestic Heat, by Unusual Heat

Last 3 Beyers: 92-88-82

◗ She returned from an eight-month layoff with a decisive allowance win June 17, a race intended as a prep for the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon on July 16. Majestic Heat was the 4-1 third choice but scratched. Her colic was minor.

“Two hours, and then she came out of it,” Mandella said.

Majestic Heat resumed working four days later and enters this race with a work pattern similar to her allowance comeback. How has she trained? “Beautiful,” Mandella said. Flavien Prat will ride.

Barbara Beatrice, by Grazen

Last 3 Beyers: 83-84-66

◗ Phil D’Amato trains the 3-for-10 Barbara Beatrice. He also bred the filly and is a co-owner.

“She’s a big, gangly filly and over time has steadily caught on to the game,” D’Amato said. Barbara Beatrice won her last start on dirt but is 2 for 5 in turf routes.

“She’s a quirky filly in that she only does as much as she needs to do; she’s finally figuring it out,” D’Amato said. Tiago Pereira is her rider.