Stakes-quality allowance major challenge for Una Chiquitita

ARCADIA, Calif. – Traditional beliefs about weather and class handicapping are being revised this season at Santa Anita.

Contrary to the 1972 hit song, it always rains in Southern California. Another storm in a series of storms arrived midweek, creating uncertain conditions Friday at Santa Anita, where three of the eight races are scheduled for turf.

Class analysis also is being reexamined, including in a main-track route that is the featured seventh race Friday. Allowance races usually are weaker than graded stakes, but trainer Marcelo Polanco wondered if a Grade 2 on Saturday might be better for Una Chiquitita than the Friday allowance.

“It’s not an easy race; it’s like a stake,” Polanco said.

He is right.

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Six fillies and mares were entered in the mile dirt race. Likely favorite Adare Manor is a Grade 3 winner stretching out from a runner-up comeback. Her stakes-winning stablemate Ganadora is a front-runner dropping from a last-place finish in a Grade 1. The others are California-bred stakes winner Big Switch, Arizona-Washington stakes winner Tiz a Macho Girl, and Shared Future.

Una Chiquitita, a Group 1 winner in Chile, would be making her second U.S. start. Polanco could run her Friday on dirt, or Saturday on turf in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes. Which race is preferred for a filly whose North American campaign is just getting started? Flip a coin.

The Friday card begins and ends on turf. Cherubic Factor is the horse to beat in the first race, a starter allowance scheduled for six furlongs. Carole Lombard would be a proper favorite in the eighth and final race, an entry-level allowance mile for California-bred 3-year-old fillies.

The seventh-race allowance is led by Adare Manor, who produced a series of 90 or higher Beyer Speed Figures last year for trainers Bob Baffert, Tim Yakteen, and Sean McCarthy. Now trained again by Baffert, her recent runner-up sprint comeback suggests she is returning to form. Baffert declined to comment on Adare Manor or Ganadora.

Big Switch is a two-time California-bred stakes winner moving up in class for trainer John Sadler after a convincing entry-level allowance win in her second start following an eight-month layoff.

“She won really nice,” Sadler said. “She going to be tough all year in the Cal-bred stakes.”

Big Switch, by Mr. Big, has won 4 of 7 starts, all for owner-breeder George Krikorian.

Una Chiquitita, whose mannerisms Polanco said reminds him of 2022 Breeders’ Cup Distaff runner-up Blue Stripe, finished fourth in her U.S. debut in a sprint. She is likely to improve second start back.

Among the most probable winners Friday, on either surface, is Carole Lombard in the eighth race.

“She showed last time she can run on both surfaces,” trainer Phil D’Amato said, referring to her runner-up dirt finish.

Each start by lightly raced Carole Lombard was better than the start before. Meanwhile, the top dirt male trained by D’Amato is on the bench. Multiple graded winner Newgrange was turned out after a bout with colic.

“You’ll see him back in the not-too-distant future,” D’Amato said.

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