Santa Anita: Jonathan Thomas sends out live pair for Frankel

Friday’s card at Santa Anita features the Grade 3, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes for fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles on turf. Trainer Jonathan Thomas appears locked and loaded.

Thomas is expected to run two in the Frankel led by Mrs. Astor, who seeks consecutive graded stakes wins following her victory in the Red Carpet (G3) going 1 3/8 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 24. Thomas also entered Mouffy, a Grade 2 winner in Canada who gets class relief following an off-the-board finish in the Matriarch (G1) at Del Mar.

Thomas also cross-entered 3-year-old Rashmi in both the Frankel and Thursday's American Oaks (G1). Rashmi started in the American Oaks and rallied to finish fourth behind favored She Feels Pretty.

Mrs. Astor, Mouffy and Rashmi are all homebreds for George Strawbridge’s Augustin Stable.  

Leading the charge to upend the Thomas-Strawbridge contingent is Hang the Moon, the 9-5 morning line favorite. Trained by Phil D’Amato, Hang the Moon most recently tried the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar and finished last of 12.

Prior to the Breeders’ Cup, Hang the Moon won the Rodeo Drive (G2) at Santa Anita in October in a 9-1 upset. That victory earned her an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Kazushi Kimura, who rode Hang the Moon in both the Rodeo Drive and Breeders’ Cup, retains the mount. A 4-year-old Uncle Mo filly, Hang the Moon is 13: 5-1-1 with $427,913 in earnings for owner C J Thoroughbreds.

As for Mrs. Astor (9-2), she rallied to win the Red Carpet by one length under Vincent Cheminaud. She will have a new rider in the Frankel. Frankie Dettori takes over in the irons while Cheminaud stays aboard Mouffy, who he rode in the Matriarch.  

Mrs. Astor is 15: 3-4-3 with $292,235 in earnings. The Red Carpet was the first stakes win for the 4-year-old filly by Lookin at Lucky.  

Mouffy (7-2) won the Dance Smartly (G2) at Woodbine in October before coming west. In two subsequent starts, the 5-year-old Uncle Mo mare was fourth in the Goldikova (G3) and a no-threat seventh in the Matriarch, both at Del Mar. Mouffy has a record of 16: 6-4-0 with $500,693 in earnings.