Visit Our CDI Partners

Frankel, Daytona highlight New Year's Day at Santa Anita

Last updated: 12/31/10 8:25 PM

A welcome dry spell in the final days of 2010 should ensure that the first

graded stakes of 2011 run at Santa Anita will remain on the turf as scheduled.

Four fillies and mares are expected to line up in the $150,000

Robert J.

Frankel S. (G2) over nine furlongs while seven older horses will dash about

6 1/2 furlongs down the hillside course in the $100,000

Daytona S.

(G3).

The Frankel, formerly known as the San Gorgonio but renamed for the late Hall

of Fame trainer, was originally going to feature a pair of Grade 1 winners

including Beverly D. S. (G1) heroine Eclair de Lune (Ger)

(Marchand de Sable). However, trainer Ron McAnally reportedly will scratch the

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) sixth-place finisher.

Farther up the track in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf was the then

three-year-old star HARMONIOUS (Dynaformer), who had landed the Queen Elizabeth

II Challenge Cup (G1) and American Oaks (G1) and was a close second in the Del

Mar Oaks (G1). After failing to settle in the early stages of that 1 3/8-mile

journey, the John Shirreffs pupil threw in the towel with a quarter-mile

remaining and beat only one of her 10 rivals to the wire.

Harmonious rolled to an impressive 4

1/4-length decision in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup

two starts back 

(Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com)

GO FORTH NORTH (North Light [Ire]) looks like the only plausible upset

possibility. A narrow winner of the Harold C. Ramser Sr. H. (G3) during the Oak

Tree meet, she ran a decent third in the Matriarch S. (G1) in her sophomore

finale. SPRING STYLE (Ire) (Pivotal), who was unplaced in all five graded stakes

attempts in 2010, and the vastly overmatched POWEROFVOODOO (Unusual Heat)

complete the quartet.

QUICK ENOUGH (High Brite) is the likely favorite in the Daytona. After an

initial stakes score in the Morvich H. (G3) across town at Hollywood Park, the

lightly-raced seven-year-old finished 10th of 14 in the Breeders' Cup Turf

Sprint (G2) and second in the Miles Tyson S. over Hollywood's Cushion Track.

DILEMMA (Grand Slam) and AFLEET RULER (Northern Afleet), second and fourth,

respectively, in the Morvich, last met in the November 28 Wild Harmony S. at

Hollywood where they respectively finished sixth and second. Conqueror of that

six-furlong turf dash was DANCE WITH GABLE (Dance Floor), who owns a perfect

three-for-three mark down Santa Anita's hillside lawn.

REGALLY READY (More Than Ready), who came home a 7 3/4-length winner in his

turf debut in a November 20 allowance at Churchill Downs, is another interesting

prospect for trainer Steve Asmussen.

FEATURED PRODUCTS

ADVERTISEMENT