Irish-bred Quattroelle seeks her third graded stakes victory of the year as she heads a wide-open Grade 3, $100,000 Wilshire Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita. For older fillies and mares at one mile on turf, the Wilshire has attracted a field of seven.
Trained by Jeff Mullins and owned by Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal, Quattroelle will again be ridden by Hector Berrios, who has patiently guided her to consecutive come-from-behind scores at one mile on grass in the G2 Buena Vista March 4 and the G3 Megahertz on Feb. 4.
A 5-year-old mare, all five of Quattroelle's wins have come on the Santa Anita turf. Third in her lone Irish start prior to making her first start for Mullins on Oct. 3, 2020, Quattroelle is 15-5-3-4 overall with earnings of $412,772.
Idle since winning the G1 American Oaks at a mile and one quarter on turf her Dec. 26, Phil D'Amato's Irish-bred Rhea Moon, who rallied from off the pace to take the G3 Autumn Miss at one mile on turf two starts back on Oct. 29, will be after her fourth consecutive win as she steps up into older company on Sunday.
A 4-year-old filly owned by Gary Hartunian's Rockingham Ranch and Talla Racing, LLC, Reah Moon will again be handled by Juan Hernandez. With and overall mark of 9-4-3-2, she has earnings of $371,831.
D'Amato is also well represented by Brazilian-bred Macadamia, who, in her first North American graded stakes assignment, finished a troubled second, beaten a half length by Quattroelle in the G2 Buena Vista on March 4 and will be ridden for the first time by Diego Herrera.
A 5-year-old mare by the Sunday Silence stallion Hat Trick, Macadamia is owned by R Unicorn Stable. A two-time Group I winner in Brazil, Macadamia has one win from six stateside starts and is 11-3-3-2 overall with earnings of $144,413.
Fresh off the best race of her career, California-bred Closing Remarks is yet another distaffer who rates a huge chance in the Wilshire with regular rider Joe Bravo back aboard for Carla Gaines. A dazzling 1 ½ length winner of the G2 Royal Heroine at one mile on turf April 1, this 5-year-old Harris Farms homebred mare by Vronsky earned a career-top 92 Beyer as the 6-5 favorite.
Never better, Closing Remarks, who is out of the Unusual Heat mare Orange Cove, seeks her second graded victory as she enters the Wilshire with a bankroll of $554,820 from an overall mark of 18-4-5-4.
A maiden $30,000 claiming winner going 7 ½ furlongs on turf four starts back at Turf Paradise on Dec. 19, Very Scary is a very legitimate threat on the lead or thereabouts for trainer Ian Kruljac. A 4-year-old filly by the Curlin stallion Connect, Very Scary, in her first stakes assignment, was most recently third, beaten 1 ¾ lengths by Closing Remarks in the Royal Heroine on April 1.
Owned by Luedtke, Oracheff and Oracheff, Very Scary is out of the Hard Spun mare Summer Reading and will be ridden back by Kent Desormeaux and she tries to improve upon and overall race record of 15-3-4-3.
THE GRADE 3 WILSHIRE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 8 of 10 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT
- Macadamia—Tiago Pereira—124
- Very Scary—Kent Desormeaux—120
- Rhea Moon—Juan Hernandez—124
- Thunder Run—Mike Smith—120
- Closing Remarks—Joe Bravo—124
- Canoodling—Umberto Rispoli—124
- Quattroelle—Hector Berrios—124
First post time for a 10-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m. with admission gates opening at 11 a.m.
The post Quattroelle Tepid Favorite In Seven-Strong Wilshire appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
