St Trinians Returns in Santa Maria

When last seen, St Trinians ran a game second to Zenyatta in last summer’s Vanity Handicap (gr. I). Eight months later she will return from the sidelines when making her dirt debut in the $150,000 Santa Maria Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 12 at Santa Anita. The 6-year-old mare won the event a year ago.

A field of seven fillies and mares was drawn for the 1 1/16-mile Santa Maria, which shares the spotlight with the $250,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II) on Santa Anita’s 10-race card.

St Trinians took a late lead against the then undefeated Zenyatta in the nine-furlong Vanity June 13 at Hollywood Park before being run down and defeated by a half-length. The English-bred daughter of Piccolo won the Santa Maria by 1 3/4 lengths two races prior to that for her third consecutive victory.

St Trinians has strung together a solid series of six-furlong works at Hollywood for trainer Mike Mitchell, who expects her to run well off an extended layoff as she has in the past. Joe Talamo will have the mount on the bay mare, who is 7-1-3 in a 13-race career that began in England.