St Trinians targets Santa Maria

ARCADIA, Calif. - St Trinians, who gave Zenyatta a scare last June in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park, is nearing a return to racing in the $150,000 Santa Maria Stakes on Feb. 12, a race she won in 2010.

St Trinians has been working steadily at Hollywood Park, including six furlongs in 1:13 last Thursday.

“I’m very pleased with her works,” trainer Mike Mitchell said. “She’s had a nice break.”

The Santa Maria is run over 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares.

Owned by Dan Capen and Laura Chavers, St Trinians has not started since she finished a half-length behind Zenyatta in the Vanity Handicap. Last summer, Mitchell said he planned to turn out St Trinians for the rest of 2010 after she emerged from that race body sore. He joked at the time that he wouldn’t run St Trinians again until Zenyatta was retired.

A 6-year-old mare, St Trinians has won 7 of 13 starts in England and California. She was sixth against males as the 3-1 favorite in the Santa Anita Handicap last March, her only start between the 2010 Santa Maria and the Vanity.

Surface switch looms for Harmonius

Harmonious, the winner of two Grade 1 races on turf in 2010, is likely to make her main-track debut in the $150,000 La Canada Stakes for 4-year-old fillies over 1 1/8 miles on Feb. 13.

Friday, Harmonious worked six furlongs in 1:10.80, the fastest of 16 recorded works at the distance. That afternoon, trainer John Shirreffs stopped short of fully committing Harmonious to the Grade 2 La Canada.

“She worked well enough,” Shirreffs said.

The race may also feature Blind Luck, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2010. Second in the Grade 2 El Encino Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 16, Blind Luck worked five furlongs in a minute on Saturday. After the workout, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said, “We haven’t decided anything concrete” on Blind Luck’s next start.