Santa Anita Previews: Royal Heroine, Echo Eddie & Providencia Stakes

By Mike Willman —-

CLASSY HARMONIZE HEADS GRADE II, $200,000 ROYAL HEROINE STAKES SATURDAY AT SANTA ANITA; PRETTY GIRL, SWEET CHARITY & LADY VALEUR ALL IN GOOD FORM AS FIELD OF EIGHT OLDER DISTAFFERS GO ONE MILE ON TURF

ARCADIA, Calif. (April 5, 2017)—Trainer Bill Mott’s classy Harmonize heads a field of eight older fillies and mares going one mile on turf this Saturday at Santa Anita. Most recently second in the Grade II Mrs. Revere Stakes going a mile and a sixteenth on turf at Churchill Downs Nov. 25, Harmonize figures to get plenty of competition from the likes of sharp local runners Pretty Girl, Sweet Charity and Lady Valeur.

HARMONIZE: A winner of the Grade I Del Mar Oaks three starts back on Aug. 20, this Kentucky-bred daughter ships west from Payson Park Training Center in south Florida to make her 4-year-old debut on Saturday. A minor stakes winner going a mile on turf at Gulfstream Park in March, 2016, she is one for two at the Royal Heroine distance. Although typically ridden from off the pace, she’s been idle for over four months and could be up closer in the Royal Heroine under regular rider Junior Alvarado. Owned by Larkin Armstrong, she’s 11-4-4-1 overall with earnings of $621,860.

PRETTY GIRL: Second behind talented Goodyearforroses in her last two starts, the Robert J. Frankel Stakes on Dec. 31 and the Grade II Santa Ana Stakes on March 12, this 6-year-old Argentine-bred mare will back in distance a furlong as she goes for her third win in four tries at one mile on turf. A respectable seventh in her U.S. debut, the Grade I Beverly D Stakes at Arlington Park on Aug. 13, she has come to hand for Lobo and will be making her third start under his care on Saturday. Owned by Stud RDI, LLC and Bonne Chance Farm, LLC, Pretty Girl is 9-4-2-1 and has earnings of $178,491.

SWEET CHARITY: This 4-year-old French-bred filly rates a big chance as she cuts back in distance a furlong following a close third place finish in the Grade II Santa Ana Stakes on March 12. Trained by John Sadler, she was a solid second in her two previous turf starts for him, at a mile and one eighth on Jan. 1 and a flat mile on Feb. 3. Highly regarded, she was off at 4-1 in the Santa Ana with Flavien Prat, but will be ridden for the first time on Saturday by Santiago Gonzalez. Owned by Hronis Racing, LLC, she has a second and a third from two tries at one mile on turf and is 9-2-4-2 overall.

LADY VALEUR: Trained by Paddy Gallagher, she was attentive to the early pace in the Grade I American Oaks, run at a mile and one eighth over a “good” turf here on Dec. 31 and finished third, beaten a half length at odds of 17-1. With a pair of seconds from three starts at one mile on turf, she enters the Royal Heroine rested and dangerous for her owner, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. Although she is multiple graded stakes-placed, with an overall mark of 12-3-4-1, she seeks her first graded win on Saturday and will be ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat.

THE GRADE II, $200,000 ROYAL HEROINE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 5 of 11 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT

1. Juno—Kent Desormeaux—120
2. Sweet Charity—Santiago Gonzalez—120
3. Prize Exhibit—Mike Smith—122
4. Lady Valeur—Flavien Prat—120
5. Pretty Girl—Victor Espinoza—120
6. Harmonize—Junior Alvarado—124
7. Hillhouse High—Corey Nakatani—120
8. Mokat—Rafael Bejarano—122

There will be a special early first post time of 12 noon on Saturday. Admission gates will open at 10 a.m. For scratches, changes and complete morning line information, please visit santaanita.com.

CALIFORNIA DIAMOND & ELWOOD J HEAD COMPETITIVE FIELD OF NINE IN SATURDAY’S $200,000 ECHO EDDIE STAKES FOR 3-YEAR-OLDS GOING 6 ½ FURLONGS AT SANTA ANITA
ECHO EDDIE PART OF LUCRATIVE GOLDEN STATE SERIES FOR CALIFORNIA BRED OR SIRED HORSES

California Diamond and Elwood J head a competitive field of nine 3-year-olds in Saturday’s $200,000 Echo Eddie Stakes going 6 ½ furlongs on the main track at Santa Anita. The Echo Eddie is part of the lucrative Golden State Series of stakes races for horses bred or sired in California.

California Diamond: The most experienced in the Echo Eddie field andnever worse than second in 10 lifetime outings, California Diamond will attempt his fourth stakes victory on Saturday. Favored at post time in six of his races, the Peter Miller trained colt by Harbor the Gold will cut back in distance after running a close second, by a combined three lengths, in his last three races when routing.

Owned by Rockingham Ranch, the Triple Crown nominated California Diamond made bettors take notice when he ran second to the formerly Kentucky Derby bound Mastery (trained by Bob Baffert) by 1 ¼ lengths in The Grade III Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar in November.

California Diamond is 10-5-5-0 overall with earnings of $465,280.

Elwood J: Elwood J, a 3-year-old Vronsky gelding out of the In Excess mare Preservingthepeace, will switch back to dirt after a pair of third place finishes in downhill turf sprints, including the Feb. 20 Baffle Stakes over a “good” turf.

Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer and owned by Joe Turner, Elwood J will once again be ridden by current leader in the jockey standings, Flavien Prat. Though third in his last two outings over the grass, Elwood J put in the highest Beyer Speed Figures of any Echo Eddie contender, even in defeat, earning a 92 for a first condition allowance on March 24 and a solid 85 rating in the Baffle.

Elwood J is 7-2-0-3 overall with $104,796 in lifetime earnings.

The field, including jockeys and weights, for the Echo Eddie Stakes
Race 10 – Approximate post time of 4:35 p.m.

1. Will Tell, Kent Desormeaux, 120
2. B Squared, Corey Nakatani, 120
3. Tribal Storm, Rafael Bejarano, 122
4. Mr. Hinx, Tyler Baze, 122
5. Ninety Nine Proof, Iggy Puglisi, 122
6. Green With Eddie, Mario Gutierrez, 124
7. Dr. Troutman, Martin Pedroza, 120
8. California Diamond, Norberto Arroyo, Jr., 124
9. Elwood J, Flavien Prat, 122

UNDEFEATED SIRCAT SALLY, BEAU RECALL & STREAKING EMPHATICALLY ALL LOOM LARGE IN SATURDAY’S GRADE III, $150,000 PROVIDENCIA STAKES; FIELD OF EIGHT SOPHOMORE FILLIES TO GO 1 1/8 MILES ON TURF
Undefeated California-bred Sircat Sally, Irish-bred Beau Recall and streaking Emphatically all loom prominent in Saturday’s Grade III, $150,000 Providencia Stakes which has attracted a field of eight sophomore fillies at a mile and one eighth on turf.

Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Sircat Sally, will try graded competition for the first time, as will the Simon Callaghan-trained Beau Recall, who flew from far back to finish second behind “Sally” in her most recent start.Trainer Tom Proctor’s Florida-bred Emphatically, a winner of her last two starts at a mile on turf, ships west to make her graded stakes debut in her fifth career start.

SIRCAT SALLY: Owned and bred in California by Joe Turner, this daughter of Surf Cat comes off a 1 ¼ length win while pressing the pace in the one mile turf China Doll Stakes on March 11.Unbeaten in four starts, she’s been favored in her last three outs and will be ridden back by Mike Smith in a race in which no one has been as far as a mile and one eighth.With $258,860 in the bank, Sircat Sally is the leading money earner in the field.

BEAU RECALL: A dedicated deep closer who ran twice in Ireland before winning her U.S. debut two starts back here on Jan. 29, she’ll likely appreciate the one furlong stretch-out off of her last two races.A distant 10th in a field of 12 in the China Doll after a half mile, she finished furiously to be beaten a length and a quarter by Sircat Sally and her connections will hope for a fast pace to help flatter her late run.A maiden winner going seven furlongs on turf in her final Irish start on Aug. 16, she has two wins and a second from her four starts.Owned by Slam Dunk Racing, she’ll be ridden for the third time in a row by Joe Talamo.

EMPHATICALLY: A daughter of Scat Daddy, who is owned by her breeder, Glen Hill Farm, she appears to be a solid fit as she comes off a 2 ¼ length allowance win going a mile on turf at Fairgrounds in New Orleans on Feb. 28.A gate to wire maiden winner at a mile on turf two starts back at Laurel Park on Nov. 18, she pressed the early pace in her allowance score and will likely employ similar tactics on Saturday when ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat.

THE GRADE III, $150,000 PROVIDENCIA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 9 of 11 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

1. Sircat Sally—Mike Smith—120
2. Union Strike—Brice Blanc—120
3. You Missed It—Mario Gutierrez—120
4. Beau Recall—Joe Talamo—120
5. Princess Roi—Corey Nakatani—120
6. War Moccasin—Tiago Pereira—120
7. Tiburtina—Gary Stevens—120
8. Emphatically—Flavien Prat—120

There is a special early first post time of Saturday of 12 noon.Admission gates will open at 10 a.m.For scratches, changes and complete morning line information, please visit santaanita.com.

About Us
Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.