Tamara resumes training, looks to spring comeback

ARCADIA, Calif. - Tamara, the beaten favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita in November, recently resumed training at Santa Anita for a springtime comeback.

“She’s galloping,” trainer Richard Mandella said Sunday. “She won’t work for another couple of weeks. She looks great.”

Tamara, the easy winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs last September, was diagnosed with a splint bone injury after she finished seventh of 12 at 4-5 in the BC Juvenile Fillies. She was rested at a local farm and began light training at a lay-up facility before rejoining Mandella’s stable at Santa Anita.

This year, the Mandella-trained Kopion, and Kinza, a five-length winner of Saturday’s Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, have won stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita.

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Kinza and Kopion were first and second in the Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile on Feb. 10, Kopion’s only loss in three starts. Kopion won the Grade 3 Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs in January.

On Sunday, Kopion worked six furlongs in 1:11.80 under jockey Flavien Prat for a scheduled start in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on April 6.

Kinza, unbeaten in three starts, could appear in the $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks, although trainer Bob Baffert stopped short of committing the filly on Sunday.

Kinza led throughout as the 1-2 favorite, pulling clear by five lengths.

“She’s just so fast,” Baffert said. “She gets out there and moves so effortlessly. She’s a little rocket ship.”

Through Saturday, Baffert and Mandella were tied for first at the winter-spring meeting with eight stakes wins each.

Mandella may try for a ninth stakes win with Forbidden Kingdom in Saturday’s Grade 3 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs. Mandella said he considered Forbidden Kingdom for Saturday’s Grade 3 Whitmore Stakes at six furlongs at Oaklawn Park, but has opted not ship after the 5-year-old Forbidden Kingdom had a recent illness.

“I don’t want to fly him and run him,” Mandella said. “I may run here.”

The list of probable starters for the $100,000 San Carlos Stakes includes The Chosen Vron, who won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar last summer for trainer Eric Kruljac.

Planetario, the winner of the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar in November, is being pointed to the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf on March 23, Mandella said.

Planetario was under consideration for the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup at two miles at Meydan on March 30 before owner Red Rafa Stud expressed a desire to leave the 6-year-old horse in California, Mandella said.

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