Small field expected for Californian

The stakes winners Country Grammer, Independence Hall, and Royal Ship are among five expected runners in Saturday’s Grade 2 Californian Stakes for older horses going 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita.

Those three will likely be joined by Growth Engine, who was fifth in the Santana Mile on March 28, and Magic On Tap, who will have his stakes debut in the $200,000 race.

:: Get Brad Free’s Betting Strategies for Saturday’s card at Santa Anita

Saturday’s program also includes the $75,000 Mizdirection Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs on turf.

Leggs Galore, the winner of the Irish O’Brien Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares on March 14, and Superstition, the winner of the Wishing Well Stakes on Feb. 15, are expected to race against Annangel, Biddy Duke, and Constantia.

◗ The Chosen Vron, the sharp winner of the Echo Eddie Stakes for California-bred sprinters on April 3, will return to graded stakes in the Grade 3 Laz Barrera Stakes for 3-year-olds on May 15.

Trained by Eric Kruljac, The Chosen Vron was third in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs on Feb. 6. The $100,000 Barrera Stakes is run at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Kiss Today Goodbye, sixth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6, is only in light training with an expected return to racing at the Del Mar summer meeting, Kruljac said. Kiss Today Goodbye won the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes on Dec. 26 and was seventh in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 23.

◗ Jockey Ruben Fuentes was fined $750 on Sunday for excessive use of the whip in the seventh race at Santa Anita last Saturday. Fuentes was cited for a second offense in the last 60 days of using his whip more than six times in a race. His mount in the seventh race on Saturday, Contagion, finished second by a nose.

◗ Trainer Peter Miller has been fined $500 after Hembree tested positive for the banned medication isoflupredone after winning the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes for turf sprinters at Santa Anita on Jan. 1.

Isoflupredone, an anti-inflammatory, is listed as a Class 4 medication and therefore is not subject to a purse redistribution. Hembree has had one subsequent start, finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 6.