California-Bred 3-Year-Olds Vie in Snow Chief, Melair

A recent winner of two consecutive stakes at Golden Gate Fields, Downstream Racing's None Above the Law  returns to Santa Anita Park June 19 to lead a group of nine California-bred 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on turf in the $150,000 Snow Chief Stakes.

The Snow Chief is one of two stakes for California-bred or sired horses on the Saturday program along with the Melair Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Both races are sponsored by the California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association.

None Above the Law's primary opposition would appear to come from Reddam Racing's Found My Ball , who just missed as the favorite in a one-mile allowance, and Ferrariano , who defeated Found My Ball at odds of 25-1 for owners Edward Rusty Brown Jr., Alan Klein, and Philip Lebherz.

A California-bred gelding by Karakontie   out of the Northern Afleet  mare Legally Blanca , None Above the Law rallied for an impressive 2 3/4-length win in the California-bred Silky Sullivan Stakes April 25 at Golden Gate, which was contested at a mile on Tapeta. The Peter Miller trainee then defeated open stakes competition in the Alcatraz Stakes May 23 over a mile on turf. Flavien Prat rides.

The Doug O'Neill-trained Found My Ball, a chestnut colt by Square Eddie , rallied from off the pace to finish second, beaten a neck by Ferrariano against state-breds on May 14. O'Neill will add blinkers for the Snow Chief and regular rider Mario Gutierrez will be aboard.

Ferrariano, a chestnut colt by Mshawish  , makes his stakes debut in his fifth start for trainer Brian Koriner, who gives a return riding assignment to Abel Cedillo.

The Melair, also with a $150,000 purse but for females and run 1 1/16 miles on the dirt, goes a race after the Snow Chief as the 10th race. The eight-horse field is led by KMN Racing's homebred I'm So Anna . The Steve Sherman trainee, by Fast Anna , comes off a front-running score against California-breds in the one-mile Campanile Stakes at Golden Gate April 25.

"I feel good about her chances," said Sherman. "I hope she can go the mile and a sixteenth. She's always been a good mile horse; I'm optimistic that she can get the extra sixteenth.

"She came out of the Golden Gate race in good shape so hopefully she can run back to that race." 

Only one contender in the field has raced beyond a mile. Owner/trainer Daniel Franko's Misty Cat  has been tested three times at 1 1/16 miles and has a second, a third, and an unplaced finish at the distance. Her second-place finish at 8 1/2 furlongs came in her latest start in a turf allowance optional claimer at Golden Gate. The daughter of Bluegrass Cat  has raced on Golden Gate's Tapeta main track four times, which included her first win Feb. 12 by 1 1/4 lengths.

Others in the field who have been successful on Santa Anita's main track going a mile include Pawnee , who won by five lengths March 7; Fi Fi Pharoah , who won last out at mile by a length May 15; and, Smoothlikebuttah , who won by 1 3/4 lengths March 5. Smoothlikebuttah also placed going a mile on dirt in her two most recent starts, both at Santa Anita. 

Pawnee is co-owned by Richard Bell and trainer Thomas Ray Bell II. The 3-year-old daughter of Mr. Big   will be ridden by Mike Smith.

Fi Fi Pharoah, a daughter of American Pharoah, was bred by Terry Lovingier, who co-owns the filly with Amanda Navarro and Tom Beckerle. She has finished off the board only once in four starts. She will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli.

Robert Bach and William Tessar's Smoothlikebuttah is also a daughter of Mr. Big. She has won or placed four times out of nine starts at Santa Anita. She will be ridden by Cedillo, who has been aboard for eight of her 13 career starts.