Toinette looks tough on turf

ARCADIA, Calif. – The rainy season arrived late this year, which complicates the feature race for 3-year-old turf fillies Friday at Santa Anita.

January and February historically are the wettest months in Southern California, but Santa Anita was fast and firm virtually nonstop the first two months of the year. Then came the third-rainiest month, March, and the accompanying platitude, “In like a lion, out like a lamb.”

Santa Anita’s main track was wet-fast March 2-3 and muddy March 10-11. The final turf race Saturday and four more Sunday were moved to the main track due to course condition. Rain has continued sporadically since, creating uncertainty for this week’s turf program.

Footing will influence the most competitive race Friday, a first-level allowance for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf.

With the turf rails at the outermost 30-foot setting, nine of the 12 fillies entered can start, but the race already lost a key contender. Stakes-placed Silken Spy, runner-up last out vs. similar, coughed after training Tuesday. An endoscopic exam revealed mucus, and trainer Eric Kruljac said she will scratch.

If the race stays on turf, lightly raced Toinette figures prominently based on her maiden win for trainer Neil Drysdale. Fourth in her career debut on dirt, Toinette improved dramatically second time out when switched to turf.

Toinette, sired by Scat Daddy, was away slowly and trailed in the downhill sprint. The fast pace set up her rally, and Toinette wore down her rivals despite losing considerable ground into the stretch.

On Friday, she stretches from a sprint to a route for Drysdale, who is 3 for 5 this winter going sprint to route. Rafael Bejarano rides Toinette.

Ms Peintour is expected to improve in her second California start. Hr maiden win two starts back at Gulfstream Park – she won by more than six lengths – compares favorably to her rivals on Friday.

Other contenders in the featured seventh race include front-runner Medaglia Gold; European import West Palm Beach; dropper Mapit; and stretch-outs Ms Dupree and also-eligible Cognitive.

Earlier in race 5, a first-level allowance for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, Life’s Blessing stretches out for the first time as the likely pacesetter. An upset candidate lurks in the form of Night Time Inc, an import from South America switching to her preferred surface, dirt, after splitting the field in her first two U.S. starts on turf.