Mrs. Astor is nearing the end of her career, which has bloomed with five stakes wins in the last 14 months.
A 6-year-old mare, Mrs. Astor will be heavily favored to win Monday’s $100,000 Astra Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf for fillies and mares at Santa Anita. Whether she races again in coming months was unclear Friday.
“I don’t know if this is going to be her last race,” trainer Jonathan Thomas said. “I don’t think we need to get her to Kentucky until March or the beginning of April.
“We’ll let her determine that in the next few months.”
Mrs. Astor, owned and bred by George Strawbridge Jr.’s Augustin Stable, has been brilliant in California since fall 2024, winning 5 of 7 starts.
The five wins have been in turf stakes ranging in distance from 1 1/8 miles to 1 1/2 miles. None were as exciting as her neck victory as the 8-5 favorite in the Grade 3 Red Carpet Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 3/8 miles on turf on Nov. 23 at Del Mar. Mrs. Astor showed a remarkable rally in the stretch, closing from sixth in the final furlong to reach the front in the final strides.
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Since that race, Mrs. Astor has had three half-mile workouts at Santa Anita.
“She’s been consistent in the last year,” Thomas said. “She’s had a couple of good works since her last race. We need good luck and a good trip.”
Thomas is confident that Mrs. Astor can be stronger at 1 1/2 miles, which may be her best distance.
“I think you can make a strong case for that,” he said.
In her last start at 1 1/2 miles, Mrs. Astor was the five-length winner of the Santa Barbara Stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita last May.
Mrs. Astor, who will be ridden by regular rider Umberto Rispoli, drew post 2. She is the only runner in the field with a stakes win in the last year.
The Astra Stakes drew a field of six, but may not have that many runners. Hey Jessie, winner of the Soviet Problem Stakes for California-bred 2-year-old fillies at Los Alamitos in 2024, was expected to run in Saturday’s $175,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic for statebreds at Santa Anita, trainer Sean McCarthy said.
The Astra Stakes will be the first start in a stakes since December 2022 for Thebestisyettobe, an Irish-bred 6-year-old mare who won an allowance race at 1 3/8 miles on turf on Nov. 24 at Del Mar.
Thebestisyettobe will start at 1 1/2 miles for the first time Monday.
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“I think she’s definitely a marathon type of filly,” trainer Phil D’Amato said.
The small field in the Astra lacks a clear pacesetter. Thebestisyettobe, who runs from off the pace, will be ridden for the first time by Kazushi Kimura.
“I think with her you have to be comfortable,” D’Amato said. “She’s shown she has a turn of foot.”
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