Mandella's Parkour Leaps into Honeymoon Stakes

After winning graded stakes at Santa Anita Park last week with United in the Charlie Whittingham Stakes (G2T) and the Monrovia Stakes (G2T) with  Jolie Olimpica, Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella aims to wrap up the month with another stakes victory May 30 when he starts Parkour in the $100,000 Honeymoon Stakes (G3T).

A Kentucky-bred filly by Carpe Diem , she is 2-for-3 since transferred from dirt to race on the turf. First, she won a Dec. 1 maiden race at Del Mar and after a fourth-place finish in the Dec. 29 Blue Norther Stakes, she notched a second win with 3 1/4-length allowance victory March 22 at Santa Anita.

"She's a little bit bad in school like I was," joked Mandella. "She needs a few more lessons to get really professional, but she's obviously got some raw talent and shows it. We expect her to keep getting better as we go."

The Honeymoon represents the equivalent of a difficult exam. Not only is the competition tough—headed by Laura's Light and Stela Star—but Parkour is unproven at the race's 1 1/8-mile distance, having only competed as far as a mile. That inexperience could be compounded by Laura's Light also possessing a similar frontrunning style that could lead to them testing one another early.

Both of Parkour's victories have come on the lead. When rated off Laura's Light in their only prior matchup in the Blue Norther, she could not keep pace, weakening to fourth.

Mandella suggested he would rather see veteran jockey Mike Smith play to her strength Saturday. She may prove fast enough, having set splits of :22.12, :45.20 and 1:09.67 on her way to completing a mile in 1:35.13 in her March 22 victory.

"We're not going to change anything at this point if we can," Mandella said of tactics.

LNJ Foxwoods owns Parkour, who is out of the grade 3-winning Speightstown  mare Gemswick Park.  

If a quick pace ensues, that would play to the style of Stela Star, who makes her second U.S. start after rallying for second, beaten a half-length, in the one-mile China Doll Stakes March 27. 

Video: China Doll S. (BT)

"She ran a nice race with a wide trip," said trainer John Sadler of the daughter of Epaulette.

According to Trakus, she ran 27 feet more than victorious Warren's Showtime, who does not return in the Honeymoon, nor do any of the other top finishers. The four other China Doll competitors that are back in the Honeymoon—Red Lark, Guitty, Croughavouke, and Little Bird —finished in positions ranging from fifth to ninth.

Stela Star's eventful race was not limited to a wide trip. She also broke a few steps behind the field, as European imports often do, and then was keen when hard held at the back of the pack.

Flavien Prat will ride Stela Star, who was purchased privately by Hronis Racing after she won the Killavullan Stakes (G3) last fall in Ireland, where she was 2-for-4 as a juvenile.

Laura's Light should benefit from a return to turf racing in the Honeymoon, having faded to fourth when shipped to Turfway Park for in the $150,000 Maxim Crane Works Bourbonette Oaks March 14 on Polytrack. She is the only multiple stakes winner in Saturday's field, having won the Blue Norther and Sweet Life Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita this winter for trainer Peter Miller and owner Gary Barber.

The 3-year-old Constitution  filly is reunited Saturday with Abel Cedillo, who was up for her two stakes triumphs.

The Honeymoon, the seventh race on a nine-race card, has a post time of 3:30 p.m. PT. The race highlights TVG's Saturday television coverage that will be simulcast to NBCSN during the afternoon.

Entries: Honeymoon S. (G3T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, May 30, 2020, Race 7

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 3:37 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Guitty (FR)	Brice Blanc	120	Leonard Powell	8/1
2	2K P Dreamin (FL)	Victor Espinoza	120	Jeff Mullins	12/1
3	3Fashion Royalty (GB)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	120	Patrick Gallagher	30/1
4	4Croughavouke (IRE)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	120	Jeff Mullins	8/1
5	5Laura's Light (KY)	Abel Cedillo	122	Peter Miller	5/2
6	6Little Bird (IRE)	Mario Gutierrez	120	Richard Baltas	15/1
7	7Red Lark (IRE)	Drayden Van Dyke	120	Patrick Gallagher	12/1
8	8Parkour (KY)	Mike E. Smith	120	Richard E. Mandella	7/2
9	9Stela Star (IRE)	Flavien Prat	120	John W. Sadler	2/1