Mucho Unusual Defends Title in Robert J. Frankel Stakes

A dominant figure over the course, George Krikorian's homebred Mucho Unusual  is back to defend her title against six rivals in the $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes (G3T) Jan. 1 over 1 1/8 miles on the Santa Anita Park turf.

A soon-to-be 6-year-old California-bred mare by Mucho Macho Man   out of Krikorian's Unusual Heat mare Not Unusual , Mucho Unusual is a grade 1 winner and four-time overall graded stakes winner for trainer Tim Yakteen. She is 6-3-3 in 12 starts over the local turf and sports a record of 8-5-4 in 22 efforts overall with earnings of $933,415.

Idle since prevailing by a nose at 3-5 odds in a 1 1/8-mile allowance optional claimer at Santa Anita Oct. 30, Mucho Unusual will be reunited with Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, who guided her to her Robert J. Frankel victory in December 2020 five starts ago.

Trainer Richard Baltas is well-armed with a pair of distaffers, LNJ Foxwoods' improving homebred Luck  and Calvin Nguyen's English-bred Bodhicitta .

A 4-year-old filly by Kitten's Joy  , Luck was 2-for-4 in France with conditioner Alain De Royer-Dupre in 2020-21 at marathon distances prior to taking her U.S. debut for Baltas going 1 1/16 miles on turf in a first-condition allowance optional claimer Aug. 7 at Del Mar. Subsequently second, beaten by a head in her last two races, the Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) at 1 1/4 miles on the same turf Oct. 2 and in the Red Carpet Handicap (G3T) at 1 3/8 miles on grass Nov. 25 at Del Mar, Luck has been knocking on the door and will hope to barrel through with Flavien Prat back aboard for the third consecutive time.

Winless in her last six starts, the most recent a sixth-place finish in the Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at one mile on the turf Nov. 28, Bodhicitta will hope to be flying from off the pace under Hall of Fame Jockey Kent Desormeaux. Nguyen bought her for the equivalent of US$82,108 from the 2019 Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale from owner/trainer M.D. O'Callaghan. Bodhicitta went under the hammer last year at The November Sale at Fasig-Tipton with Ballysax Bloodstock but failed to meet her reserve at $775,000.

She adds blinkers for Saturday's race.

"I'm just trying something different with her," Baltas said. "This is a lot easier spot and I think she wants more distance.

"Luck is a good filly and she had a soft pace in the Red Carpet. I actually think this is a better distance for her."

Other notable entries in the Frankel include England's Rose , a minor stakes winner and fourth in the Red Carpet, and Moraz , a recent allowance optional claiming winner on turf who was thrice graded placed on dirt in early 2021 at Santa Anita.

England's Rose (English Channel ), trained by John Shirreffs, races for the partnership of Mercedes Stables, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott Dilworth, Dorothy Ingordo, David Ingordo, and Steve Mooney. Moraz (Empire Maker ) is a homebred for Don Alberto Stable trained by Michael McCarthy.

Entries: Robert J. Frankel S. (G3T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, January 01, 2022, Race 8

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:35 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Bodhicitta (GB)	Kent J. Desormeaux	121	Richard Baltas	8/1
2	2Mucho Unusual (CA)	John R. Velazquez	123	Tim Yakteen	5/2
3	3England's Rose (KY)	Victor Espinoza	123	John A. Shirreffs	5/1
4	4Moraz (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	121	Michael W. McCarthy	6/1
5	5Sloane Garden (GB)	Kyle Frey	121	Manuel Badilla	12/1
6	6Global Brand (KY)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	121	Michael W. McCarthy	6/1
7	7Luck (KY)	Flavien Prat	121	Richard Baltas	8/5