This Week in Racing: Jolie Olimpica stars at Santa Anita

Following an action-packed long weekend of racing across the country, the stakes schedule runs light through Sunday -- with a Santa Anita feature marking the return of unbeaten turf runner Jolie Olimpica the exception.

Elsewhere, there are no official stops on the roads to the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks. However, the Mine that Bird at Sunland Park could feature the second start of well-regarded maiden Exaulted from the Peter Eurton barn. 

Below is a closer look at some of this week’s races of note. Click on the race name where applicable to view a list of potential starters. 

FEATURE RACE

$200,000 Buena Vista Stakes (G2), Santa Anita, Saturday

Jolie Olimpica made a smashing U.S. debut when drawing off to win the Jan. 11 Las Cienegas (G3) going 5 ½ furlongs at Santa Anita. Owned by Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farms and trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, the 4-year-old chestnut filly was perfect in three starts and a Group 1 winner in her native Brazil before arriving stateside.

"She’s been working well and we’re hoping we can do as well going a mile," Mandella said of a try at the Buena Vista.

Also expected in this turf race for older fillies and mares is Carressa, a lightly raced daughter of Uncle Mo who has won three of her last four starts for trainer John Shirreffs. Most recently, she won the Megahertz (G3) when trying stakes company for the first time on Jan. 20 at Santa Anita. 

This race could also mark the U.S. debut of Muchly. The 4-year-old Iffraaj filly won two of nine starts in England for John Gosden and is now trained by Simon Callaghan. 

 
3-YEAR-OLD WATCH

$100,000 Mine that Bird Stakes, Sunland Park, Sunday

C R K Stable’s Exaulted headlines a field of six entered for this 1 1/16-mile prep toward the Sunland Derby (G3), which pays 50 points to the winner for the Kentucky Derby. By Twirling Candy, Exaulted rallied to finish second, beaten 3 ¾-lengths by the highly-regarded Nadal in his lone start on Jan. 19. He closed pool two of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager at 99-1. 

Other notable entrants include Stackin Silver for Richard Batas; Sir Rick, who dominated an entry-level allowance at Sam Houston in his most recent start for Robertino Diodoro; and Jungle Runner, who most recently ran eighth in the Smarty Jones for Calumet Farm and Steve Asmussen. 

$75,000 Any Limit Stakes (fillies), Gulfstream Park, Saturday

Multiple Grade 1-placed Frank’s Rockette is set to face seven rivals in her 3-year-old debut for trainer Bill Mott and owner Frank Fletcher Racing Operation. The daughter of Into Mischief was a debut winner at Churchill Downs last June and then rounded out the season with runner-up finishes in the Adirondack (G2), Spinaway (G1) and Frizette (G1).

The chief rival to Frank’s Rockette’s could be Sound Machine, who most recently ran off to win the Glitter Woman Stakes at Gulfstream on Jan. 4 for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

$100,000 Maddie May Stakes (fillies), Aqueduct, Sunday

Ice Princess, from the Danny Gargan barn, could draw top billing in this one-mile event on the main track. The daughter of Palace Malice was a debut winner at Belmont Park in September and came back to be fourth in the Frizette a month later. Given a brief freshening after that effort, Ice Princess returned on Jan. 20 to win allowance optional claimer at Aqueduct on Jan. 20. The runner-up and third-place finishers in that race, Myawaya and Holmdel Park, are also being pointed to this spot.

OTHER NOTABLE STAKES

$100,000 World of Trouble Sprint (G3), Gulfstream Park, Saturday

A wide-open field of eight is entered for this six-furlong sprint, which was formerly known as the Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship. Lasting Legacy, Jackson and Yorkton are the stakes winners in the field, while Epic Dreamer -- who was briefly on last year’s Triple Crown trail -- owns a race-high Brisnet Speed Rating of 103 he earned winning a six-furlong optional claimer at Gulfstream on Dec. 8 for trainer Kelly Breen. 

The seven-furlong Hutcheson for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream was scheduled for Saturday, but it failed to fill and may be brought back later.

$100,000 Spring Fever Stakes, Santa Anita, Sunday

Grade 1 winner Spiced Perfection and multiple graded stakes winner Queen Bee to You are projected to headline this six-furlong heat for Cal-breds on the main track.

Spiced Perfection, who earned a top-level win in last year’s Madison Stakes (G1), was most recently the beaten favorite in the Jan. 25 Inside Information when shipped to Gulfstream by trainer Peter Miller. 

Queen Bee to You has won three straight for trainer Andrew Lerner. She started the run in the Betty Grable Stakes at Santa Anita and added wins in the Bayakoa (G3) at Los Alamitos and most recently the La Canada (G3) at Santa Anita on Jan. 11.  

$100,000 Haynesfield Stakes, Aqueduct, Saturday

New York-bred star Mr. Buff, who has won six stakes from 10 starts since the start of 2019, returns to action in this one-mile event on the main track. The 6-year-old Friend of Foe gelding will cut back in distance after winning three stakes going 1-1/8 miles. These include the Empire Classic at Belmont last fall, the Alex M. Robb Stakes for New York-breds by 7 ½-lengths on Dec. 18 and most recently the Jazil Stakes versus open company by five lengths on Jan. 25. Trained by John Kimmel, the Chester and Mary Broman boasts a career mark of 35: 13-6-4 with earnings of $992,411. 

This will also feature the return of Grade 3-placed Syndergaard, who hasn’t raced since a fourth in the Commentator Stakes at Belmont last May for trainer John Terranova. 

NON-STAKES OF NOTE

Oaklawn Park, Race 8, Thursday, 5:42 p.m. ET

This six-furlong event for 3-year-old fillies drew a field of five, including Kiss the Girl for trainer Steve Asmussen. Kiss the Girl was second by a neck to Comical in last year’s Schuylerville (G3) while in the Todd Pletcher barn and was subsequently sent to the sidelines. The daughter of Into Mischief returned for Asmussen and finished off the board in an allowance optional claimer over a muddy track at Oaklawn on Jan. 24. 

Santa Anita, Race 5, Friday, 6 p.m. ET

This has some high-priced auction purchases in the lineup and will feature the debut of Strugar, who fetched $900,000 from C R K Stable at the 2017 Keeneland September yearling sale. Trained by Eurton, the daughter of Hard Spun has worked seven times since late December for her unveiling. 

Trainer Bob Baffert has entered five-start maiden Paint Me Lucky, while OXO Equine’s high-priced Cardiff Cay, who brought $560,000 as a yearling, will make his first start on dirt for trainer Don Chatlos.

CARRYOVER ALERT

The Gulfstream Rainbow 6 was hit Monday for $1.2 million, but the track will have a Pick 5 carryover of $203,727 awaiting bettors when racing resumes on Thursday. Also with a Pick 5 carryover is Fair Grounds. The Black Gold 5, which will commence Thursday at approximately 4:26 p.m. ET, has a $128,269.

Pick 6 jackpot carryovers are in effect at Santa Anita ($366,954 on Friday), Golden Gate Fields ($106,412 on Friday) and Aqueduct ($58,825).