NEWS
Red-hot Tuscan Evening leads Santa Ana field
Posted: Friday, March 19, 2010 2:54 PM
TUSCAN EVENING
Benoit & Associates photo
by Tim Nichols
A winner of three of her past four starts, all graded stakes, Tuscan Evening (Ire) aims to continue her sharp form in the $150,000 Santa Ana Handicap (G2) on Sunday at Santa Anita Park.
William de Burgh’s five-year-old Oasis Dream (GB) gelding enters off a pair of impressive performances at Santa Anita—winning the one-mile Buena Vista Handicap (G2) by 2¼ lengths on February 15 and the Monrovia Handicap (G3) on the downhill turf course by a length on January 3 for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.
Winless in 11 career starts in England and Ireland prior to shipping to California, Hollendorfer has molded Tuscan Evening into a game racehorse who has won eight of 12 starts in the U.S.
Jockey Rafael Bejarano will get the call for a fifth straight time on Sunday.
“She’s the best filly or mare I’ve got right now on the turf,” Bejarano said. “She loves it.”
Two significant obstacles stand in Tuscan Evening’s path toward a third straight graded stakes victory—distance and weight.
Tuscan Evening finished eighth in the 2009 John C. Mabee Stakes (G1) in her only other start at the Santa Ana distance of 1 1/8 miles. Also, the mare will seek to become the first mare since champion Estrapade in 1985 to win the Santa Ana carrying 123 pounds.
Should Tuscan Evening lose a step on Sunday, a number of accomplished mares are poised to seize the opportunity.
Among those include Matthew Cloros’ Cat by the Tale. The five-year-old Tale of the Cat mare opened the season with a 2 ½-length victory in the 1 1/8-mile San Gorgonio Handicap (G2) on January 2 prior to finishing fourth in the Buena Vista in her most recent start.
Last year’s Santa Ana winner, Belmont Cat (NZ), makes his return to California after finishing 12th in the Honey Fox Stakes (G3) on February 20 at Gulfstream Park in her most recent outing.
Other entrants include Grade 3 winner April Pride (GB), French Group 2 winner Treat Gently (GB), 2007 Diana-Brazilian Oaks (Brz-G1) winner Eissoai (Brz), General Consensus, and Chasin Dreams.
Tim Nichols is internet content editor of Thoroughbred Times
