Multiple Grade 1 winner MEGAHERTZ (GB) (Pivotal) will take on six rivals in
Sunday’s $200,000 Santa Barbara H. (G2) at Santa Anita while attempting to take
the 1 1/4-mile race in back-to-back years. The Bobby Frankel-trained
six-year-old captured last year’s edition by a length before finishing second by
that same margin in the May 31 Gamely Breeders’ Cup H. (G1). She wasn’t seen
again in competition until the October 30 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1),
where she finished off the board, then took another break before just missing by
a head against the boys in the Hollywood Turf Cup (G1). Alex Solis will be back
aboard the chestnut mare, who has been assigned the highweight of 123 pounds.
Buena Vista H. (G3) victress URAIB (Ire) (Mark of Esteem [Ire]) didn’t do so
well in her last start on the main track, finishing ninth in the Santa Margarita
Invitational H. (G1), but could show improvement here while returning to the turf.
Her last start on the green came in the Brown Bess H., where she finished
second, and she’ll try to improve on her fourth-place finish in the Santa
Barbara from 12 months ago. The five-year-old bay will go under a 115-pound
impost that includes jockey Jon Court.
The complete Santa Barbara field, with riders and weights, is Megahertz;
NADESZHDA (GB) (Nashwan), Julio Garcia, 114; Uraib; ASK FOR THE MOON (Fr) (Dr Fong), Rene
Douglas, 116; MOSCOW BURNING (Moscow Ballet), Mike Smith, 119; HOH BUZZARD (Ire)
(Alhaarth), Pat Valenzuela, 116; and MIDWIFE (Family Calling), Garrett Gomez,
115.