Mrs. Astor, a six-time stakes winner in the last 16 months, will remain in training after finishing third by a length to Take A Breath in Sunday’s Grade 3 Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita.
Trainer Jonathan Thomas said on Wednesday that the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf for fillies and mares at Santa Anita on May 25, is a goal, or the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes, a $350,000 race at 1 1/2 miles for fillies and mares at Keeneland on April 24.
Mrs. Astor, owned by George Strawbridge, Jr., had been under consideration for retirement, which will not take place, Thomas said.
“There’s no need to overreact,” Thomas said.
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In the $102,500 Santa Ana Stakes, Mrs. Astor closed from seventh in a field of 10 to be closest to the front at the finish. She was seventh on the backstretch when she came in light contact with Ima Joker racing to her outside. Mrs. Astor appeared to briefly lose her momentum before continuing a wide rally.
“I didn’t realize that she gave her a little bit of a bump,” Thomas said of Ima Joker. “I’m not saying it was the difference between winning and losing. It was the difference in being closer.
“She lost momentum at a crucial time when the pace picked up at the three-eighths pole.
“I thought she ran a respectable race. It’s not like she ran badly.”
Mrs. Astor, a 6-year-old by Lookin at Lucky, has won 8 of 23 starts and earned $637,235. Her six stakes wins include three Grade 3 races.
Mrs Astor gave Thomas his first stakes win of 2026 in the $100,000 Astra Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/2 miles at Santa Anita on Jan. 19. On Saturday at Santa Anita, the Thomas-trained Truly Quality is a leading contender in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 1/2 miles.
Take A Breath won her first stakes in the Santa Ana Stakes, her 13th career start.
Trained by Mark Glatt for Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, Take A Breath was imported from Britain last summer. She finished fourth in two Grade 1 races last year – the Del Mar Oaks in August and the American Oaks at Santa Anita in December.
Take A Breath closed from sixth to win the Santa Ana Stakes at 6-1 by a nose over 12-1 Resolve.
“She’s had a bunch of bad luck in nearly all of her starts since she’s been here,” Glatt said shortly after Sunday’s race. “She’s blossomed the longer she’s been here. She’s put on weight and gotten stronger.
“With a little different luck, she’d have a couple of wins in the U.S.”
The Santa Ana Stakes was run at 1 1/4 miles, which Glatt said may be as far as Take A Breath would prefer. Glatt mentioned the Gamely as a goal with Take A Breath.
Resolve, who has won once in 17 starts, is eligible for a first-condition allowance race, and is likely to appear in such a race, trainer Leonard Powell said on Wednesday.
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