From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 16, 2023)—Nick Alexander’s homebred Alice Marble, a stakes winner on turf but unbeaten on dirt, transitions to the main track and heads a field of five older fillies and mares going six furlongs in Sunday’s $100,000 Spring Fever Stakes at Santa Anita.
The Spring Fever is part of the lucrative CTBA-sponsored Golden State Series for eligible California-bred or sired runners.
A 6-year-old mare by Grazen out of the More Than Ready mare Unsung Heroine, Alice Marble comes off a close third place finish as the 6-5 favorite versus statebreds going about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course here on Jan. 7.
Raced exclusively on turf in her last six starts dating back to Jan. 15 of last year, Alice Marble has won five out of her 10 starts with Phil D’Amato and was second, beaten a half length versus open company coming down the hill four starts back in the Grade II Monrovia Stakes on April 9, 2022.
Although nine of her 13 starts have come on grass, Alice Mable has won all three of her dirt starts, two of them at Santa Anita, at sprint distances.
With Flavien Prat reengaged, Alice Marble approaches the Spring Fever with an overall mark of 13-5-2-3 and earnings of $350,880.
A lightly raced 4-year-old filly by Dads Caps, the Richard Barton homebred Doris Mae is in top form and rates a big chance with leading man Juan Hernandez back aboard, fresh off a big third place finish going six panels in the Grade III Las Flores Stakes here on Dec. 31.
Trained by Carla Gaines, Doris Mae has been ridden by Hernandez in all three of her starts with Gaines, beginning with a 1 ¼ maiden win versus statebreds sprinting here on Oct. 28, which followed a 14-month gap dating back to her career debut, a fourth place finish at the same level on July 16, 2021 at Del Mar.
Quick from the gate, Doris Mae showed the way to the top of the lane in the Las Flores and tired late. Out of the Western Fame mare Tizalovelylady, Doris Mae has two wins from four overall starts and earnings of $96,000.
The quickest of the quick in Sunday’s Spring Fever could be the Jamey Thomas-trained Chancery Way, who has led early in all five of her starts, winning four of them. Based at Golden Gate Fields, this 4-year-old daughter of Mr. Big tasted defeat for the first time in her most recent start, a second place finish as the 8-5 favorite going one mile on synthetic Tapeta versus statebreds in the Moscow Burning Stakes at Golden Gate on Jan. 28.
Owned by Andy and Ron Smolich, Chancery Way, who was purchased for a bargain $6,500 at the CTBA 2020 Northern California Yearling Sale, is out of the War Chant mare This Means War and will be ridden for the first time by Mike Smith.
THE SPRING FEVER WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 4 of 9 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT
- Alice Marble—Flavien Prat—124
- Doris Mae—Juan Hernandez–120
- Chancery Way—Mike Smith 124
- Eddie’s New Dream—Mario Gutierrez—124
- Taming the Tigress—Ramon Vazquez–122
First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. with admission gates opening at 10:30 a.m.