French-bred Neigle Blanche heads Grade III, $125,000 Astra Stakes
At 0h39, on January 16, 2022 • By SANTA ANITA
Trainer Leonard Powell, him self a French native, will send out like favorite Neige Blanche (white snow) a 5-year-old French-bred mare, in Monday’s Grade III, $125,000 Astra Stakes at Santa Anita. For older fillies and mares with a hillside start at a marathon mile and one half on turf, the Astra has attracted a field of five.
A winner of the Grade III Santa Barbara Stakes going the same distance five starts back on May, 2021, Neige Blanche has maintained a consistent form, winning an ungraded stakes at 1 3/8 miles on turf three starts back on Aug. 14 at Del Mar, and winning her most recent assignment, the Grade III Red Carpet Handicap at a mile and three eighths on turf Nov. 25.
A winner of three of her six starts in her native France, Neige Blanche has won three of her nine stateside starts with Powell, including winning three out of six last year and a career-best $204,168. Owned by Madaket Stables, LLC, Laura DeSeroux, Marsh Naify and Mathilde Powell, Neige Blanche took the Red Carpet in gate to wire fashion but has also proven effective stalking the pace in marathon scenarios. With an overall mark of 15-6-0-3, she’s the leading money earner in the field with $315,280 and will be ridden for the seventh consecutive time by Juan Hernandez.
