Sugar Fish tries to get back on track in the Zenyatta

ARCADIA, Calif. - The Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita on Sunday will be take two for the 3-year-old filly Sugar Fish in an important stakes against older fillies and mares.

Sugar Fish won the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita in June by 9 3/4 lengths, but was sixth by 11 1/2 lengths in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes against older fillies and mares at Del Mar on Aug. 3 after a wide trip.

“It took her a long time to get over that race,” trainer Jeff Mullins said recently.

Sugar Fish tuned up for the Zenyatta Stakes with a five-furlong work in 1:00.80 at Santa Anita last Saturday. She is one of three stakes hopefuls for Mullins this weekend.

Queen Maxima is stuck on the also-eligible list for Saturday’s $100,000 Unzip Me Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the hillside turf course. Packs a Wahlop has been entered in a tough running of the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile on turf.

Mullins is already having a successful month. On Sept. 14, Man O Rose won the E.B. Johnston Stakes for California-bred milers on dirt at Los Alamitos.

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The 4-year-old Man O Rose will be considered for the $80,000 Lure Stakes, a restricted stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 19.

The timing of the Lure is preferred over the $100,000 California Flag Handicap for statebreds on the hillside turf course on Oct. 13, Mullins said.

“I like the Cal-bred race, but it’s a little quick back,” he said.

The Lure Stakes is expected to include Exaulted, who won the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita in May 2023 but is winless in four subsequent starts. Exaulted was seventh of 10 in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on turf on Aug. 31, and was held out of Saturday’s Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita.

“I’m going to pass that and I’m going to shoot for the Lure,” trainer Peter Eurton said on Wednesday.

“I want to run him when he’s as good as I think he can be.”

In coming weeks, Eurton plans to alter Exaulted’s training to include workouts with a stablemate. Often, Exaulted has worked alone, Eurton said.

“I’ll put him in with some company,” Eurton said. “I want him to enjoy it. I haven’t worked him in company for so long. It will tell me a lot more, too.”

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