Mandella Tries for Rare Double at Santa Anita

One week after he won the Santa Anita Handicap for a third time with Rock Hard Ten, Richard Mandella will try to make some history today.

If he wins with Miss Loren in the $300,000 Santa Margarita Handicap, the Hall of Fame trainer will complete a sweep that hasn’t been accomplished in almost 50 years. Bill Molter was the last trainer to win the Big ‘Cap and Santa Margarita in the same season. Our Betters scored the first of her two victories for Molter in the 1956 Santa Margarita and Bobby Brocato won the Santa Anita Handicap.

Mandella, who has watched Rock Hard Ten win three races in a row (the Malibu and Strub before the Big ‘Cap) since he became the 4-year-old’s trainer, will saddle Miss Loren for the first time in the Santa Margarita. A Grade I at 1 1/8 miles, the race is part of a pick six with a carry-over of $108,239.

Miss Loren, an Argentine-bred who was recently purchased privately by Mercedes Stable LLC, will be looking for her third stakes win of the meet.

The Santa Margarita also lured Tarlow, A.P. Adventure, Dream Of Summer, Sweet Lips, Personal Legend, Uraib, Festival, House Of Fortune and Scrofa. Good Student and House Of Fortune will race coupled as the Arnold Zetcher-owned entry.

Race of the day: Scipion, the 10-1 winner of the Risen Star Stakes last month, is among nine 3-year-olds scheduled to go 1 1/16 miles in the $600,000 Louisiana Derby today at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. High Limit, who won his two starts last year by a combined 18 1/2 lengths, will make his first start for trainer Bobby Frankel in the Grade II and is the 5-2 morning-line favorite. Meanwhile, at Bay Meadows, Stellar Magic, who has won three of four, is scheduled to face nine other 3-year-olds in today’s $200,000 El Camino Real Derby.

One for the road: Sir Shackelton looked good winning an optional claimer in his first start of 2005 and can come right back in the $200,000 Richter Scale Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

Exotically speaking: A pick three using Lava Man, Cozy Guy and Super Strut in the eighth, Miss Loren, the Good Student entry and Dream Of Summer in the ninth and Dramatic in the 10th.

Winners: Previous day/meet total: 1/135. Money: Previous day/meet total: $6.60/$731.60. Total money bet: $956.