Irish-bred import Pasar Silbano, winner of the La Habra Stakes (gr. IIIT) on Santa Anita Park's hillside turf course in her last start Feb. 1, will be among the contenders in the Providencia Stakes (gr. IIT) on April 4.
The one-mile race attracted a field of 11 3-year-old fillies.
Pasar Silbano, an Irish-bred daughter of the Danzig stallion Elnadim, scored by 1 3/4 lengths in the La Habra. Prior to that, she was seventh in the Moccasin Stakes on Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track last Nov. 16.
“A mile is the farthest she’s ever run, but I think she’ll relax,” said Jim Cassidy, who trains Pasar Silbano for Three Chimneys Racing. “I didn’t have her for her first race in the U.S. I got her after the Moccasin. She’s a nice filly, and the only horse I’ve got for Three Chimneys.”
Mike Smith was aboard Pasar Silbano in her two races in this country, but rides Stardom Bound in the Ashland Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland April 4, so Joel Rosario has the mount.
A listed stakes winner in Ireland with victories on both turf and synthetic surfaces, Pasar Silbano comes into the Providencia with a 5-0-1 mark in eight starts and earnings of $251,804. The bay filly worked five furlongs on Santa Anita’s firm turf course March 29 in a bullet 1:00.40.
Rosy Mantle is a Great Britain-bred filly by Daylami also owned by Three Chimneys Racing. Trained by Ben Cecil, she won her American bow at Santa Anita March 11, posting a 1 1/4-length win over the Providencia distance as the odds-on choice. She had a debut maiden win on a synthetic surface and two second-place finishes in three starts on turf in England.
Pride Dancer, another Irish-bred, will be making her United States debut for trainer Bobby Frankel and the Diamond Pride Stable that includes Dodgers manager Joe Torre. Gomez rides the bay filly, who had a 2-3-0 record in six French starts and earned $78,102. She won a listed stakes at Longchamp in her most recent start Oct. 19.
Also making her stateside debut is Bobby Flay Thoroughbreds' Mrs Kipling, an Irish-bred filly who ran third in a group III event at Ascot in her most recent start Oct. 11. Neil Drysdale trains the daughter of Exceed and Excel who won a listed stakes at Italy's Capannelle in September.
Will O Way, a two-time stakes winner trained by Vladimir Cerin, makes her turf debut as the 121-pound top weight. The Broken Vow filly won the 1 1/16-mile California Oaks at Golden Gate Fields by a nose Jan. 31, but tired to finish last of nine in the Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) in her most recent start March 7.
Burg Berg faded to fifth in the Santa Anita Oaks but was just 1 1/2 lengths behind the champion filly Stardom Bound after setting the pace. She gets back on turf, where she won her previous two starts before the Oaks at Santa Anita in front-running style for trainer Paco Gonzalez.
$150,000 Providencia Stakes (gr. IIT, Race 9, 4:07 p.m. PDT), 3-Year-Old Fillies, 1 Mile (Turf)
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. African Skies (GB), 115, Corey S. Nakatani
2. Acting Lady (KY), 115, Victor Espinoza
3. Air Fair (KY), 115, Alex O. Solis
4. Will O Way (KY), 121, Michael C. Baze
5. Pasar Silbano (IRE), 115, Joel Rosario
6. Pride Dancer (IRE), 115, Garrett K. Gomez
7. Mrs Kipling (IRE), 115, David R. Flores
8. Fastongrass (PA), 115, Brice Blanc
9. Oui Say Oui (IRE), 115, Alonso Quinonez
10. Burg Berg (KY), 115, Tyler Baze
11. Rosy Mantle (GB), 115, Rafael Bejarano