The Santa Marina Handicap
Out on the west coast this week, one of the graded race’s on Saturday’s card is The Santa Marina Handicap. Set to go off at 2:00 PM EST on Saturday, the race is open to fillies and mares four-year-olds and up on the main dirt track. Held over a mile and one-sixteenth over a track that will be listed as fast at post time, the race is offering up a total prize purse of $750,000. Let’s take a glance through this years’ contenders for the race.
- Cryptoxanthin (CHI) – fastncanuck – W. Kewmwa – 10/1
Drawing the inside rail for Saturday’s race, the five-year-old bay mare is the only horse in this weekend’s field to not be bred in the United States. By Constitution, the most recent start for the mare was in December of last year over an allowance race on the turf at eight and a half furlongs. Fourth out of the gate, the mare started picking off other runners early in the race and had taken over the lead midway through the race. She would go on to win the race by three and a half lengths and recording a speed figure of one hundred thirteen. Her most recent graded start was last November during the Breeders’ Bowl Distaff (G1) at a mile and one-eighth in which she would cross the wire in thirteenth.
2. Ghosted Barbara – nohopenags – R. Bokie – 7/1
Being sent out to make her debut against Grade I company this Saturday, the daughter of Ghostzapper has made twenty-five career starts and is multiple graded placed at the lower levels of graded racing. Her most recent start was in November of last year here in California during The Barbacoa Handicap (G2) at a mile and one-sixteenth. Settling into sixth after breaking from the gate, the mare started to pick up the pace midway through the race but would only get up to fourth by the time the field reached the wire. She would set a speed figure of one hundred twelve for the race. Her prior start was her most recent win which came in the Bluegrass Cup Distaff (G3) at the same distance in Kentucky. Again, in sixth out of the gate, the mare would start to challenge the other contenders halfway through the race before going on to win the race by two and a quarter lengths.
3. Just Gorgeous – jastables24 – P. Appolonia – 7/1
Sired by Silver State, the five-year-old bay mare is coming off of a win going into this race. Her most recent start came last November during the Gone Til November Stakes (G1) at a mile in Ontario, Canada. Breaking out of the gate in sixth, she began to challenge other runners early and quickly moved up into a stalking position. She would take over the lead down the stretch, going on to win the race by one and a quarter lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred sixteen. She has finished off the board only three times in her sixteen lifetime starts.
4. I’m Through – asrtapit0 – V. Jef – 15/1
Making her twentieth career start on Saturday, the five-year-old mare is by Tapit and has earned a total of just over half a million in lifetime earnings. Her most recent race was in December during an allowance race over nine furlongs across the country in New York. Fifth out of the gate early in the eight-horse field, she started to challenge other runners midway through the race before going on to win the race by one and a quarter lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred ten. Her most recent graded start was this past November in the Miss Mags Sprint (G3) at seven furlongs in Ontario, Canada. Settling off the pace in fifth, she would rally late to cross the wire in fourth.
5. Charlie Bernile – amir1683 –
The youngest horse in our field for this weekend at four-years-old, the chestnut has made eleven career starts. The daughter of Charlatan most recently started in late December during an allowance race at nine and a half furlongs in Colorado. Breaking sharply and settling into third, the filly didn’t advance though the race and would cross the wire where she started in third, setting a speed figure of ninety-six. Her most recent start against graded company was in October during the Gowader Stakes (G2) over a mile in Idaho where she would finish ninth after lingering far off the pace from the start. Her most recent win goes back to January of last year during a listed stakes race over a mile in Kansas. Breaking sixth, she would start to make her move midway through the race before winning by three-quarters of a length.
6. Just Arrogant – justasr – M. Buck – 12/1
Making her third Grade I attempt this Saturday, the daughter of Triple Crown winner Justify will be making her twenty-first career start. The five-year-old light grey mare made her most recent start in November of last year during the Butchertown Handicap (G1) in Kentucky over a mile and one-eighth. Settling into eight out of the gate, she would rally in the stretch to cross the wire in the fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred eleven. Her most recent win was in August of last year during The Pitcher Molly (G2) at a mile and one-sixteenth in New Jersey. Out of the gate in seventh, she would make her move earlier in this race, at about the midway point. She would eventually win the race by half a length. Between these races was her most recent Grade I start which came in the Are We There Yet Mile (G1) in New Mexico in which she would cross the wire in third.
7. Fleetwood Joann – elitempire – R. Waples – 9/1
Making her first start against Grade I company with this start, the mare will be making her twentieth career start on Saturday. The daughter of Union Rags and Grade II winning dam Fleetwood Leeta made her most recent start last month during a listed stakes race in Florida over nine furlongs. Settling into the gate in fourth, she started to make his move midway through the race and would cross the wire in third while setting a speed figure of one hundred ten. The most recent win for the mare came in November of last year during the Put On Your War Paint Stakes (G3) at a mile and one-sixteenth in Pennsylvania. Stalking again from fourth in the race and starting to move up at the midway point of the race, the mare won by three-quarters of a length over the sloppy track.
8. Mean Jelly Bean – liveoak – S. Hommell – 8/1
Looking for her first Grade I win of her career, the daughter of Candy Ride has made sixteen career starts. The five-year-olds most recent start came in December of last year during the Candy Striper Stakes (G2) at a mile and one-eighth in Maryland. Stalking the pace out of the gate after settling into third, the mare never found her stride in the race and would cross the wire in third with a speed figure of one hundred twelve. Prior to this the mare had her most recent win, which was in The Bourbon Gril Stakes (G2) at a mile and one-sixteenth over a track rated as good in Kentucky. Stalking in second, the mare wouldn’t challenge for the front until the stretch where she would take over the lead and go on to win by three-quarters of a length.
9. Seeking Requiem – outsiders – M. Steams – 7/1
Looking for her tenth career win and first win against Grade I company, the five-year-old chestnut mare is sired by Munnings and is approaching career earnings of one-million dollars. The most recent start for the mare was here in California last November during The Barbacoa Handicap (G2) at a mile and one-sixteenths. Out of the gate and settling into a stalking position in third, she started to move forward midway through the race. She would surge in the stretch and go on to win by a quarter of a length while setting a speed figure of one hundred fourteen. She hasn’t made a Grade I start since 2024 during the Daisy If Ya Do Stakes (G1) in August at seven and a half furlongs in which she would cross the wire in fourth.
10. She’s Dangerous – given5 – D. Givins – 7/1
The most decorated runner of this weekend’s field, the five-year-old mare is a Hall Of Fame inductee and two-time End-Of-Year Award winner with over seven-million dollars in career earnings. With eighteen career starts, the chestnut mare made her most recent start last November in the Breeders’ Bowl Distaff (G1) at a mile and one-eighth. Breaking out of the gate and settling into twelfth she would start to advance on the rest of the field early in the running of the race. She would display an impressive turn of foot in the stretch, gaining the lead, and going on to win by three-quarters of a length with a speed figure of one hundred fifteen. It was the second consecutive win for the mare of the prestigious Breeders’ Bowl race. In her three-year-old season, the mare also won the Bluegrass Oaks (G1) over the same distance.
11. Clontarfy – saughduss – J. Dizzle – 8/1
At six-years-old, the mare is one of the older competitors in the field and has made a total of sixteen career starts. Sired by Flatter, the mare has career earnings approaching two-million dollars. The most recent start for the bay mare was last November during the Gone Til November Stakes (G1) at a mile in Ontario. Straight out to the lead at the start of the race, the mare would fade in the stretch to cross the wire in third while setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. In late September the mare saw her most recent win in the Are We There Yet Mile (G1) in which the mare won in gate to wire fashion by two lengths.
12. Rousing Reactions – rollingr – Z. Ayya – 8/1
Returning for a second try against Grade I company, the five-year-old light grey mare is sired by the late Uncle Mo and out of an allowance-winning dam by Tapit. The most recent start for the mare was in late December of last year during the Cool Kids Cup (G2) at a mile in Maryland. Breaking out of the gate and settling into a stalking position early in fourth, she would take control of the pace halfway through the race before going on to win by two and a quarter lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred fifteen, which is a lifetime best speed figure for the mare. Her only Grade I attempt before her start this weekend came in last September during The Hollars Distaff (G1). She was further off the pace early in the race, coming out of the gate in seventh. She would rally some late in the race, but would only get up to cross the wire in sixth.
13. Warisamoneymaker – asrstar16 – F. Gossett – 12/1
With twenty-two career starts, the daughter of War Front is attempting to win her first Grade I start. The five-year-old bay mare most recently started last year in December during the Cool Kids Cup (G2) at a mile in Maryland. Settling into seventh out of the gate, the mare started to challenge other runners midway through the race and would get up to cross the wire in fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred eleven. Her most recent win was in March of 2024 during the Fantasia Handicap (G1) at a mile and one-sixteenth in Arkansas. More forwardly placed in the race, settling into fifth out of the gate, the mare again started to move up halfway through the race before going on to win by a length. Her most recent race against Grade I company was in November of last year during the Gone Til November Stakes (G1) at a mile where she would cross the wire in sixth.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: She’s Dangerous
Place: Just Gorgeous
Show: Ghosted Barbara