ARCADIA, Calif. – A claiming mare in top form meets a stablemate comebacker who returns with high hopes in the featured seventh race Friday at Santa Anita. The mile-long turf race, a second-level allowance for fillies and mares, goes through trainer Mark Glatt.
Sareeha is the “now” horse, having won two of four since being claimed by Glatt. Khinjani has not raced since February 2024, but Glatt said she has trained very well.
Expectations are high.
Sareeha and Khinjani are key entrants in the allowance/optional $80,000 claiming race. Others include Omnipontet, a Group 1 winner in Brazil whose three U.S. starts produced one runner-up finish; program favorite Runamileinmyshoes, who wired an entry-level allowance turf mile last out; and outsiders Baltic Fire, Vibez, and Royal Charter.
Sareeha will attract support based on a series of strong races for Glatt. Claimed for $25,000 from a runner-up finish in November, Sareeha subsequently won back-to-back allowances, finished fourth in a Grade 3, and finished second last out at the same level she runs Friday.
Not all claims are as profitable as Sareeha, who has earned $90,600 since she was claimed. Kazushi Kimura rides Sareeha, who won at the second allowance condition early this year and is entered Friday for the $80,000 optional-claiming tag. Her tactical speed could lead to a favorable trip tucked behind Vibez and Runamileinmyshoes.
The most interesting entrant is Khinjani. She won 2 of 10 in England prior to being sold at a European auction for $212,226 in December 2023. Her U.S. campaign for Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners began with an entry-level allowance victory in January 2024, followed by a third in a Grade 3. That was her most recent start, more than a year ago.
“She was coming to the end of a long campaign over there and a couple races here,” Glatt said. “She didn’t have anything [particularly] wrong with her, she just was a bit jammed up.”
Khinjani underwent a nuclear scan, and Glatt put her away.
“It was time to give her a little break,” Glatt said.
The little break lasted a little longer than expected.
“She had a couple minor hiccups. [It’s] taken more time to get back to the races than we anticipated,” Glatt said.
Indications are the wait was worth it.
“She’s a brand-new horse. She’s training very well,” Glatt said.
Khinjani scratched from the $100,000 Santa Barbara Stakes on Sunday to target the Friday allowance. Although a mile is shorter than she typically runs, late-runner Khinjani could mow them down under Hector Berrios. Eight of the 15 turf miles this meet have been won from the middle or back of the field.
Vibez stretches out from a sprint and is likely to contest the pace with front-runner/pace-presser Runamileinmyshoes. Omnipontet will be rolling late.
Five of the nine races Friday are on turf, including race 9, a 1 1/8-mile claiming race that includes One of These Days. He returns as the controlling speed in the $25,000 claiming race for non-winners of two. One of These Days, trained by meet leader Phil D’Amato, could be long gone under Antonio Fresu.
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