Major Idea Burns Up Turf

If she doesn’t bruise a foot before post time, Major Idea will be favored to win her fourth in a row in the $150,000 Providencia Stakes today at Santa Anita.

Owned by the Thoroughbred Corporation and trained by Neil Drysdale, the 3-year-old Cherokee Run filly didn’t win her first two starts on the main track, but has blossomed since moving to turf.

In six starts on grass, Major Idea has four wins and two thirds. She has won her last three on the surface, including stakes wins at this meet in the Blue Norther on Jan. 8 and Some Sensation on March 13.

Never tried beyond a mile, Major Idea will be stretching out to 1 1/8 miles this afternoon and her two main rivals are Star Vega, who was second in the Some Sensation, and Makeup Artist.

At Keeneland, Crafty C.T. will try for his first stakes win since the 2001 San Rafael in the $250,000 Commonwealth Breeders’ Cup.

Race of the day: The fourth at Santa Anita is a very weak sprint for $40,000 maidens bred in California, but the contest takes on special significance today because it’s the first race in a pick six with a double carryover of $567,642.

Who’s hot: Michael Reavis. The trainer won with 36 of his first 90 starters at Hawthorne.

Who’s not: Gennadi Dorochenko. The trainer lost with 44 of his first 45 starters in 2003.

Exotically speaking: A pick four using Motto, Albatros and Hugh Hefner in the sixth, Barron H, Welcome Aboard and Slew Stew in the seventh, Runaway Pro, Alozaina, Mushroom Countess and Janeian in the eighth and singling Dealinwithinsanity in the ninth.

Winners: Previous day/meet total: 3/228. Money: Previous day/meet total: $16.40/$1,286.40. Total money bet: $1,358.