Santa Anita: Starry Heavens makes U.S. debut in Santa Ana

Starry Heavens, a 5-year-old mare bred in Ireland who will be making her U.S. debut for trainer Phil D’Amato and owner R Unicorn Stable, is among a field of eight fillies and mares signed on for Saturday’s Grade 3 Santa Ana Stakes going 1 1/4 miles on turf.

By Mastercraftsman, Starry Heavens was a stakes winner at Longchamp in 2023 and she also contested multiple Group 3 events while in Europe. She has not started since last July when finishing off the board in the Stanerra Stakes (G3) going 1 3/4 miles at Fairyhouse in Ireland.

Starry Heavens has been training forwardly over Santa Anita’s synthetic training track since her stateside arrival. Beginning in mid-January, Starry Heavens has worked eight times for her U.S. unveiling. Last Saturday, she drilled five furlongs over the Tapeta in a sharp 59.8 seconds. D’Amato’s come away encouraged by what he’s seen in the mornings.

“She’s been training very well,” D’Amato said Friday morning. “Antonio Fresu has been working her and he’s been really impressed with what he’s felt underneath him. This is why they sent her to me, to run in these marathon-type races.”

Fresu will be aboard Starry Heavens again in the Santa Ana, where she is installed as the 5-1 third choice on the morning line. Her chief rivals include even-money favorite Kathynmarissa, most recently second in the American Oaks (G1) in December at Santa Anita, and Mrs. Astor (5-2), winner of the Megahertz (G3) in February and Robert J. Frankel (G3) in December in her two most recent starts. Kathynmarissa is trained by Richard Dutrow, and Jonathan Thomas trains Mrs. Astor.

“It’s a nice, salty field with a mare coming off a Grade 1 placing and another mare that’s won two graded stakes in a row,” D’Amato said. “This is a good starting point. I think she’s going to be a nice marathon mare for me down the road.”

The Santa Ana is part of a 10-race card Saturday starting at 4 p.m. EDT. It goes as the eighth race at 7:40 p.m.