Seltzer Thoroughbreds' Finest City (City Zip), champion female sprinter of 2016, worked for the first time since capturing her 2017 debut with a comfortable victory in the Jan. 21 GII Santa Monica S., traveling four furlongs in :50.20 Sunday morning in Arcadia. Trainer Ian Kruljac was pleased with the workout, which could be a stepping stone for a return to a route distance for his GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner.
“She looked fabulous, went easy, just cruising,” Kruljac said. “The Santa Margarita looks pretty enticing.”
The nine-furlong GI Santa Margarita S. Mar 18 would represent Finest City's first try around two turns since a runner-up effort over the Del Mar lawn in the Sept. 4 John C. Mabee S. Sept. 4.The versatile 5-year-old mare previously finished third behind champions Beholder (Henny Hughes) and Stellar Wind (Curlin) in the GI Vanity Mile on dirt at Santa Anita June 4.
Finest City could run into Bob Baffert-trained Vale Dori (Arg) (Asiatic Boy {Arg}) in the Santa Margarita should that one add to her three-race winning streak in next Saturday's 1 1/16-mile GII Santa Maria S. Vale Dori breezed four furlongs in :49.80 Sunday, after which Baffert deemed the 5-year-old “ready” for her next test. Baffert also sent out unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Mastery (Candy Ride {Arg}) to a five-furlong work in 1:00.20 Sunday. The Hall of Fame trainer said his charge could make his next start in either the Mar. 11 GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita or the Mar. 18 GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park.
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