Sweet Life Preview: Majestic Steps Ready For Big Leap

ARCADIA, CA – After last month’s smashing North American debut victory, Michael House’s Irish-bred Majestic Steps is ready to take the big leap up to the stakes ranks for Sunday’s $100,000 Sweet Life Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.

The Sweet Life is a 6-furlong turf sprint restricted to 3-year-old fillies. This year’s edition is the seventh event on a 9-race card and has a local post time of 3:30 PM.

Here’s a look at the full field for the Sweet Life:

1. Nimbostratus 6/1 – This French-bred began her career with a pair of 5-furlong turf sprints in Ireland and won her second try, then was privately sold and shipped stateside to join trainer Peter Miller. She was second in last September’s 1-mile Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes, then last month cut back and crossed second over this course and distance against optional claimers.

2. Freedom Flyer 15/1 – After competing well in 5 and 5 1/2-furlong sprints on turf and dirt to start her career (4-0-1-2 record), she stretched out to 6 furlongs last time out and wired maidens by 4 lengths here on January 2. Ricky Gonzalez rides for the third straight start and trainer Simon Callaghan connects at 20% with a healthy $2.60 ROI in turf sprints.

3. Going Global 6/1 – The first of two entries from trainer Phil D’Amato makes her North American debut after racing 4 times in her native Ireland, winning once. D’Amato has won with 4 of his past 6 trainees making their North American debuts and she attracted top jockey Flavien Prat to ride, but she won on synthetic and missed the board in all 3 overseas turf tries.

4. Go Greta 15/1 – This British-bred makes her North American racing debut for Richard Baltas, who wins 21% with a sharp $2.74 ROI when experienced horses run from his barn for the first time. Like the rival directly to her inside, she missed the board on turf (2 starts) before winning a synthetic sprint, but she’ll have the meet’s leading rider Juan Hernandez aboard.

5. Squared Shady 12/1 – She needed 6 starts against California-breds in order to break her maiden, a feat she accomplished last month over this course and distance with a gate-to-wire score under Edwin Maldonado. He and trainer Jeff Bonde win 16% together and she worked 4 furlongs in :47.80 last week, but this is a tremendous step up from state-bred maidens.

6. Royal Address 4/1 – Yet another first-time North American runner, this Irish-bred put together a 6-3-0-0 record in Great Britain and France, twice beating boys in stakes and all in turf sprints at 5 and 6 furlongs. She’s worked steadily and swiftly over the local training track for her Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale, who wins 14% with a $2.82 ROI in turf sprints.

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7. Five Pics Please 6/1 – She gamely wired her rivals (3 return here, including Nimbostratus) over this course and distance last month despite drawing the dreaded rail (2 for 32 through Thursday). That was her first time on turf and running for trainer John Sadler, who legs up Tyler Baze (20% winners together); last-out rider Umberto Rispoli is on Majestic Steps.

8. Pizzazz 8/1 – She cuts back to sprinting for the first time since her debut, a runner-up effort going 5 furlongs over Del Mar’s lawn last August. She broke her maiden at third asking in a 1-mile route there but only finished fourth in the Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3) and the Blue Norther Stakes. She’s easily the class of the field and shouldn’t be intimidated by anyone here.

9. Majestic Steps 7/2 – The lukewarm morning line favorite was a strong winner over this course and distance last month in her stateside debut for D’Amato, who wins 21% with a tasty $3.23 ROI in turf sprints. That was her first time catching a firm turf after competing over good and heavy ground in Ireland, and elite jockey Rispoli wins 29% when riding for D’Amato.

10. Magical Thought 20/1 – She adds blinkers for her first start from trainer Doug O’Neill, who claimed her for $100k out of the same sprint Five Pics Please won last month. She has tactical speed to give talented jockey Ruben Fuentes options out of the gate, and O’Neill – who also co-owns her (further demonstrating his faith) – hits at 22% first off the claim.

11. Plum Sexy 10/1 – O’Neill’s second entry broke her maiden on debut over this course, flying from well off the pace to win by 3 1/2 lengths under returning rider Heriberto Figueroa. She didn’t handle routing in the Jimmy Durante, finishing eighth under a different jockey, but she and Figueroa rallied to third behind Five Pics Please and Nimbostratus last time out.

12. I’m So Anna 50/1 – She cuts back to sprint on the lawn for the first time in her career, though she’s no stranger to the surface: she won the 1-mile Pike Place Dancer Stakes at Golden Gate Fields last Halloween. She misfired against California-breds in her next 2 starts (both routes), but shortening up could help: she has a 3-1-1-1 record sprinting over dirt and synthetic.

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