Miss Sunset, Majestic Heat head Santa Anita's Spring Fever Stakes

Graded stakes winners Miss Sunset and Majestic Heat head a field of five California-bred or sired older fillies and mares going six furlongs in Sunday’s $100,000 Spring Fever Stakes at Santa Anita.

A five-time stakes winner last year, trainer Jeff Bonde’s Miss Sunset will transition to dirt following a third place finish as the 3-2 favorite versus state-breds in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint here Jan. 27.   Richard Mandella’s Majestic Heat, who was a well beaten third by the great Unique Bella in the Grade II Santa Maria Stakes Feb. 10, will shorten up from a mile and a sixteenth and try six furlongs for the first time in her career.

Owner:  Alan Klein and Philip Lebhen                            

Trainer:  Jeff Bonde

Bred in-part in California by co-owner Alan Klein, this 4-year-old filly by Into Mischief had an incredible 2017, capped by her win in the Grade II, seven furlong Raven Run Stakes three starts back at Keeneland on Oct. 21.  Subsequently beaten 27 ¼ lengths by Unique Bella in the Grade I La Brea Stakes going seven furlongs here on Dec. 26, she showed the way for the first half mile in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint coming down the hillside turf Jan. 27, but tired to be beaten 2 ¼ lengths.  Although winless in four Santa Anita main track starts, she’s unbeaten in two races at six furlongs.  Her most recent defeat aside, she rebounded well from her La Brea trouncing two starts back and looks like the top choice in the Spring Fever.

Owner:  Madeline Auerbach, LLC, Bardy Farm and Ron McCauley            Trainer:  Richard Mandella

A 6-year-old mare by Unusual Heat, Majestic Heat was thought to be a turf specialist until Mandella opted to sprint her seven furlongs on dirt four starts back on Nov. 12, the result being a 3 ¼ lengths triumph versus statebreds in the Betty Grable Stakes at Del Mar.  Following that, she ran perhaps the best race of her career in taking the Grade II Bayakoa Stakes going 1 1/16 miles at Los Alamitos on Dec. 3.  A non-threatening fifth, beaten 2 ¾ lengths two starts back in the Grade II La Canada Stakes on Jan. 13, she then checked in third, beaten 10 ¼ lengths, behind Eclipse Champ Unique Bella in the Grade II Santa Maria Stakes Feb. 10.  As she cuts back in distance out of three consecutive routes, classy Majestic Heat will try six furlongs for the first time and would be well served by a fast early pace.

THE $100,000 SPRING FEVER STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 3 of 9   Approximate post time 1:30 p.m. PT

1.  Majestic Heat—Flavien Prat—124

2.  Shy Carmelita—Joe Talamo—122

3.  Miss Sunset – Mike Smith – 124

4.  Cuddle Alert – Tyler Baze – 122

5.  Bad Ju Ju—Geovanni Franco—122