Frankel, Daytona highlight New Year's Day at Santa Anita

Last updated: 12/31/10 8:25 PM

A welcome dry spell in the final days of 2010 should ensure that the first
graded stakes of 2011 run at Santa Anita will remain on the turf as scheduled.
Four fillies and mares are expected to line up in the $150,000
Robert J.
Frankel S. (G2) over nine furlongs while seven older horses will dash about
6 1/2 furlongs down the hillside course in the $100,000
Daytona S.
(G3).

The Frankel, formerly known as the San Gorgonio but renamed for the late Hall
of Fame trainer, was originally going to feature a pair of Grade 1 winners
including Beverly D. S. (G1) heroine Eclair de Lune (Ger)
(Marchand de Sable). However, trainer Ron McAnally reportedly will scratch the
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) sixth-place finisher.

Farther up the track in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf was the then
three-year-old star HARMONIOUS (Dynaformer), who had landed the Queen Elizabeth
II Challenge Cup (G1) and American Oaks (G1) and was a close second in the Del
Mar Oaks (G1). After failing to settle in the early stages of that 1 3/8-mile
journey, the John Shirreffs pupil threw in the towel with a quarter-mile
remaining and beat only one of her 10 rivals to the wire.

Harmonious rolled to an impressive 4
1/4-length decision in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup
two starts back

(Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com)

GO FORTH NORTH (North Light [Ire]) looks like the only plausible upset
possibility. A narrow winner of the Harold C. Ramser Sr. H. (G3) during the Oak
Tree meet, she ran a decent third in the Matriarch S. (G1) in her sophomore
finale. SPRING STYLE (Ire) (Pivotal), who was unplaced in all five graded stakes
attempts in 2010, and the vastly overmatched POWEROFVOODOO (Unusual Heat)
complete the quartet.

QUICK ENOUGH (High Brite) is the likely favorite in the Daytona. After an
initial stakes score in the Morvich H. (G3) across town at Hollywood Park, the
lightly-raced seven-year-old finished 10th of 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Turf
Sprint (G2) and second in the Miles Tyson S. over Hollywood’s Cushion Track.

DILEMMA (Grand Slam) and AFLEET RULER (Northern Afleet), second and fourth,
respectively, in the Morvich, last met in the November 28 Wild Harmony S. at
Hollywood where they respectively finished sixth and second. Conqueror of that
six-furlong turf dash was DANCE WITH GABLE (Dance Floor), who owns a perfect
three-for-three mark down Santa Anita’s hillside lawn.

REGALLY READY (More Than Ready), who came home a 7 3/4-length winner in his
turf debut in a November 20 allowance at Churchill Downs, is another interesting
prospect for trainer Steve Asmussen.