Photo:

Santa Anita / Benoit Photo

Schilflied, the 5-1 third choice on the morning line in
Sunday’s $100,000 Sweet Life Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, was second to
morning-line favorite Casalu (7-5) when going a mile on turf in the Blue
Norther on Dec. 28 at Santa Anita.

This time around they will meet going about 6 1/2 furlongs
on the hillside turf course.

Click here for Santa Anita entries and results.

Patrick Gallagher, Schilflied’s trainer, thinks the shorter
distance could prove the winning difference Sunday.

We tried her a couple times going long, and she just didn’t
seem to finish her races,” Gallagher said Saturday. “We thought this was an
interesting race to take a shot at.”

Neither Schilflied nor Casalu has tried the unique, hillside
turf course. Casalu, who earned her first stakes win in the Blue Norther for
trainer Bob Baffert, never has sprinted on turf. Schilflied’s only previous
sprint try resulted in a sharp, 3 1/2-length, maiden win going 6 1/2 furlongs
on Santa Anita’s main turf course in October.

By Mendelssohn, Schilflied will wheel back quickly. After the Blue Norther, Schiflied returned two weeks ago going a mile on turf at Santa Anita and finished third in a first-level allowance.

“It’s coming back a little quick, but the race looked tempting,” Gallagher said.

Schilflied will be ridden by Héctor Berrios, who was aboard for her previous two starts. Berrios, who ranks fourth in the jockeys standings during the current Santa Anita meet, has gained notoriety this winter, particularly for his work on turf.

“Hopefully we get a good trip. We’re optimistic,” Gallagher said.

The Sweet Life goes as the seventh race on a nine-race card Sunday. With early first post of 2 p.m. EST because the Super Bowl will be played 4 1/2 hours later, the Sweet Life is set for 5:02 p.m.

Post	Silks	Horse / Sire	Rating	Trainer / Jockey	Last start	Morn. line
1		Hey Lil Lady Goldencents	0.00	Bob Hess Jr. Mario Gutierrez	1st, SA MSW (1/19/25-R1)	12-1
Last race		1st, SA MSW (1/19/25-R1)
2		How About Pavel Pavel	0.00	Doug O’Neill Tiago Pereira	1st, SA MSW (1/23/25-R5)	20-1
Last race		1st, SA MSW (1/23/25-R5)
3		Schilflied Mendelssohn	5.84	Patrick Gallagher Hector Berrios	3rd, SA Alw OC (1/24/25-R7)	5-1
Last race		3rd, SA Alw OC (1/24/25-R7)
4		Tequilaandtherapy Mrazek	4.79	Doug O’Neill Edwin Maldonado	3rd, 2025 California Cup Oaks	9-2
Last race		3rd, 2025 California Cup Oaks
5		Casalu Caracaro	6.26	Bob Baffert Flavien Prat	1st, 2024 Blue Norther	7-5
Last race		1st, 2024 Blue Norther
6		Practical Dream Practical Joke	6.34	Tim Yakteen Antonio Fresu	6th, 2025 Santa Ynez	12-1
Last race		6th, 2025 Santa Ynez
7		As Catch Can Mo Town	5.92	Jonathan Thomas Umberto Rispoli	1st, WO Alw OC (12/5/24-R3)	15-1
Last race		1st, WO Alw OC (12/5/24-R3)
8		Going Deep Bodexpress	0.00	Doug O’Neill Tyler Baze	1st, SA AlwOC (1/3/25-R5)	12-1
Last race		1st, SA Alw OC (1/3/25-R5)
9		Acquitted Into Mischief	0.00	Richard Mandella Juan Hernandez	11th, 2024 Jimmy Durante G3	6-1
Last race		11th, 2024 Jimmy Durante G3
10		Ce La Vi Charli Classic Empire	0.00	George Papaprodromou Frankie Dettori	7th, 2024 Blue Norther	30-1
Last race		7th, 2024 Blue Norther