Welcome Back … St Trinians!

With a sixteenth of a mile to go, it appeared the mighty Zenyatta’s winning streak was in serious danger. Mike Smith was getting in to her like I had not seen since 2009, and yet the other filly was somehow holding her at bay.  The race was Last year’s Vanity Handicap and the other mare was St Trinians, who was making her first appearance since finishing off the board as the betting favorite in the Santa Anita Handicap.

Although dwarfed by the larger than life Zenyatta, she was accelerating down the lane with her unique eggbeater stride, apparently oblivious to what everyone thought was supposed to happen. As the two feisty females quickly left the rest of the field far behind, Zenyatta would need every ounce of her great will to win, and every inch of the 1 1/8 mile race, to hit the wire first. Under new rider, Martin Garcia, St Trinians had run a great race despite losing for the first time in five races against females since arriving in America.

Flash forward eight months, and the now six-year-old paddling mare, St Trinians is back. Santa Anita’s Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes for older fillies and mares will be her first time in the starting gate since her sensational battle with Zenyatta. Saturday’s race will also mark the daughter of Piccolo’s first try on a traditional dirt surface. Conditioner Mike Mitchell is showing a lot of confidence in his charge, bringing her back in a grade two stakes race after the long layoff, but that is nothing new for St Trinians.

After winning her first four races in the United States impressively, including defeating the defending Ladies’ Classic winner, Life is Sweet, in last year’s edition of the Santa Maria, St Trinians could not have found any tougher spots than the Big Cap and the Vanity. Mitchell feels that she will be ready for Saturday’s challenge off her workouts alone, and is looking forward to the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic as his star’s ultimate goal.