Post-Zenyatta Era Gets Underway in California with Santa Maria Handicap

St Trinians (Piccolo) obviously gets plenty of attention heading into this one and it’s more or less guaranteed that the UK-bred six year-old will be the one to beat. She’s been laid off since last June when she ran second to the Big Z in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap. Lay-offs have not been a problem for her in the past but one wonders whether, at six years of age, she might be a little rusty. The other real variable is that this is, effectively, her dirt debut. She came off the all-weather surfaces in the UK and has been campaigned exclusively on cushion track and Pro-Ride. Her late kick might be complicated by the draw along the rail, but she will be a major factor if she can avoid traffic trouble.

 

Vision in Gold (Medaglia D’Oro) has run against some quality in the past but only notched her second career win in a 40K optional claimer at the end of December – and she had to drop to non-winners of 1 lifetime to do so. This is a major step up for her but the barn tends to do well in two turn efforts. She did score on her dirt debut at Santa Anita and she’ll be looking for a credible effort here as opposed to the outright win.

 

Washington Bridge (Yankee Gentleman) is smack in the middle of a very progressive run where she’s taken a 76 Beyer in a 32K non-winners of two life-time score all the way up to a 90 Beyer in a winning Grade 2 effort. She is putting in career-best figures and will still have room for improvement only being four years old. She can close deep or stalk the pace and should be able to flash enough quality to at least be in the mix.

 

Argentinian-bred Miss Match (Indygo Shiner) is a close relative to Monmouth record-setter Quebrada Shiner (Indygo Shiner) and she deserves plenty of respect despite some lukewarm efforts during the fall. She came back off a three-month layoff to score at Golden Gate in her first synthetic effort in a 40K allowance. A Grade 1 winner in her native country, she’s coming out of a barn that has been returning relatively consistent profits. She will be there towards the end and will likely hit the board, at least.

 

Zardana (Crimson Tide) threw a monkey-wrench in the Zenyatta vs Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia D’Oro) contest last year when she defeted Rachel on a seasonal debut at Fair Grounds. She hasn’t won since then and finished well behind St Trinians in the Vanity last year. Not much dirt experience, but she did flash a career-high 101 in Louisiana on the dirt. She has proven she can compete but it’s all a question of whether she fires today or not. 

 

Mona de Momma (Speightstown) is by a very up-and-coming sire and she showed marked improvement at the end of her 2010 campaign with a pair of scores at Grade 3 and Grade 1 level – flashing a 100 Beyer in the Grade 1 against some solid competitions. She tends to run on late and will be a factor if she fires near her career-best. She has never won off a lay-off and may need the race.

 

It Tiz (Tiznow) stormed in late to capture the ungraded Megahertz Stakes by half a length on the turf at Santa Anita and takes her second career shot on the dirt after a tame fifth in the Grade 1 La Brea back in December. She’s a real roll of the dice and is up against some talent in this one. She’s been raced on a nearly monthly basis since last June and only did just enough last time. The daughter of legendary Tiznow, she got the measure of some quality fillies in the past but was recently undone by Washington Bridge. Lukewarm, but could get up late for a piece of this one.