Vai preps for stakes debut in allowance

ARCADIA, Calif. – Vai was a surprise winner first out. When she makes the second start of her career Thursday at Santa Anita, the surprise will be if she gets beat.

Week 2 of the autumn meet begins with two allowance sprints for California-bred 2-year-olds who are prepping for a $200,000 stakes next month. Vai is heavily favored in race 1 for fillies; Elwood J and Mr Ability are contenders in race 6, open to either gender.

Vai began her career at the right distance but the “wrong” class. Rather than entering a six-furlong maiden race restricted to statebreds Aug. 28 at Del Mar, trainer Mark Glatt entered her against open company the same day at 5 1/2 furlongs.

“I was trying to get a race into her before the meet closed, but the Cal-bred race was three-quarters, and it was farther than I thought I had her prepared to run,” Glatt said. “I thought she probably would get beat [in the open race].”

The filly was better prepared than Glatt knew. Vai popped the gate, pressed a strong pace, and won clear with a 74 Beyer Speed Figure that towers over her four rivals Thursday in the six-furlong race.

“Hopefully, she’ll repeat her first race and we’ll go into the stake,” Glatt said, referring to the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies for statebreds on Nov. 4.

California-bred colts and geldings run Nov. 5 in the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile; the field will be influenced by race 6 Thursday, a six-furlong California-bred allowance with colts and geldings.

The horse to beat is Elwood J, a sharp debut winner whose second start was a sixth-place debacle in which he was compromised by an inside post. He moves to post 6 Thursday while facing an intriguing comebacker with a new trainer.

Dan Blacker purchased Mr Ability for $75,000 at the Barretts May sale on behalf of a syndicate after the colt won his debut at 4 1/2 furlongs for owner-breeder-trainer Mike Harrington.

Blacker said Mr Ability “was an amazing-looking horse; he looked like a two-turn horse, and yet he had won at 4 1/2.”

Shin issues and a respiratory setback delayed his return; the Thursday allowance is the colt’s first start since his May 20 debut. Mr Ability posted an outstanding gate work Sept. 29, five furlongs in 1:00.40 over a slow surface, and Blacker aimed for the allowance.

Mr Ability will be ridden by Gary Stevens, who was influential in Blacker moving to the U.S. Blacker, who was born in England, met Stevens 15 years ago in France. “We’re excited to have Gary ride,” Blacker said.