(Mrs. Astor / Benoit Photo & Courtesy of Santa Anita Park)

From the Santa Anita Media Team / Victor Ryan:

• GIII SANTA ANA: FAVORITE MRS. ASTOR AT A CROSSROADS • WORKS: CHEROKEE NATION RETURNS TO TAB, GI SA DERBY NEXT • O’NEILL, JARAMILLO EACH WIN 3 FRIDAY TO CONTINUE BIG MEET

GIII SANTA ANA: FAVORITE MRS. ASTOR AT A CROSSROADS What the future holds for six-time stakes winner Mrs. Astor will largely be determined by what happens Sunday in the Grade III Santa Ana Stakes. Another top performance from Mrs. Astor in the 1 ¼-mile turf race then it’s on to the Grade I Gamely on May 25 at Santa Anita. Anything less and it’s likely off to the breeding shed for the 6-year-old Augustin Stables homebred.

“We’d like to get her a Grade I, and she’s training like she’s ready to run another good one,” trainer Jonathan Thomas said Saturday.

Mrs. Astor, a daughter of Lookin at Lucky, is the 5-2 program favorite in a competitive field of 10 that will go postward in the Santa Ana. She enters having won six of her last eight starts including her last two outings. On Jan. 19 at Santa Anita, Mrs. Astor won the 1 ½-mile Astra by a nose in a desperate finish. Previously in November, she prevailed by a neck in the GIII Red Carpet going 1 3/8 miles at Del Mar. She enters with a record of 22: 8-5-4 and $627,235 in earnings.

In the Santa Ana, Mrs. Astor will be ridden for the first time by Antonio Fresu. He replaces her usual rider, Umberto Rispoli, who is sidelined with an injury.

“I think Antonio is a great rider. I’ve been wanting to do business with him,” Thomas said.

Joining Mrs. Astor in the Santa Ana starting gate for Thomas will be Starry Night, a 4-year-old Justify filly who is 12-1 on the morning line. In her most recent start, Starry Night set a tepid pace in the GIII Robert J. Frankel going 1 1/8 miles and was nailed on the wire by Paradise Lake to lose by a nose. Paradise Lake, trained by Peter Eurton, also returns in the Santa Ana. She is the 7-2 second choice on the morning line.

Thomas is hoping Starry Night can get a similar trip in the Santa Ana.

“It doesn’t look like there’s much speed in there again,” Thomas said.

Jockey Ricky Gonzalez, who rode Starry Night in the Frankel, again has the call.

The Santa Ana goes as the seventh race on a nine-race card Sunday. First post is 1 p.m. and the Santa Ana goes as the seventh race at 4:06 p.m. The field in post position order: Ima Joker, Mirco Demuro (20-1); Queen Sienna, Victor Espinoza (12-1); Paradise Lake, Juan Hernandez (7-2); A Thousand Miles, Diego Herrera (20-1); Public Assembly, Florent Geroux (5-1); Hey Jessie, Mike Smith (10-1); Starry Night, Ricky Gonzalez (12-1); Take A Breath, Emisael Jaramillo (6-1); Resolve, Hector Berrios (8-1); Mrs. Astor, Antonio Fresu (5-2); Catalina Cocktail (AE), Armando Aguilar (30-1).

WORKS: CHEROKEE NATION RETURNS TO TAB, GI SA DERBY NEXT Cherokee Nation returned to the work tab Saturday, 15 days after posting a 100 Beyer Speed Figure in a scintillating maiden win at Santa Anita. Joining Cherokee Nation on the work tab for trainer Bob Baffert were fellow 3-year-old Desert Gate and the older horses Imagination and Cornucopian. Also on the tab was multiple Grade I winner Journalism.

Cherokee Nation worked an easy three furlongs in 38.2 seconds. In his maiden victory going one mile, Cherokee Nation aired by 10 lengths while stopping the clock in 1:34.5. The colt by Not This Time is slated to make his next start in the GI Santa Anita Derby going 1 1/8 miles on April 4.

Desert Gate worked five furlongs in 59.2 seconds. By Omaha Beach, Desert Gate finished fourth in the GIII Robert B. Lewis on Feb. 7 following a four-month layoff. He is also a candidate for the Santa Anita Derby.

Imagination worked for the first time since winning the GII Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia. The 5-year-old Into Mischief horse was timed going three furlongs in 37.6 seconds. Cornucopian worked six furlongs in 1:13.2. A 4-year-old Into Mischief colt, Cornucopian on Jan. 31 returned from a nine-month layoff and was a dazzling three-length winner while overcoming trouble in a 6 ½-furlong allowance at Santa Anita.

Journalism drilled five furlongs in 1:01.0 for trainer Michael McCarthy. It was Journalism’s fourth work on the comeback trail. A 4-year-old Curlin colt, Journalism hasn’t started since finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 1. His splendid campaign last year included wins in the GI Preakness, GI Haskell and GI Santa Anita Derby, plus runner-up finishes in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and GI Pacific Classic.

Also working for McCarthy was Meaning, winner of the Las Virgenes Stakes when making her 3-year-old debut Feb. 8. She was clocked going five furlongs in 1:00.8. By Gun Runner, Meaning is ticketed for the GII Santa Anita Oaks on April 4.

Also on the tab were Grade I winners Gold Phoenix (5f, 1:00.4) and Full Serrano (5f, 59.60) as well as top California-bred mare Grand Slam Smile (4f, 51.0).

O’NEILL, JARAMILLO EACH WIN 3 SUNDAY TO CONTINUE STANDOUT MEET Trainer Doug O’Neill and jockey Emisael Jaramillo each won three races on Friday’s nine-race card at Santa Anita to continue a highly successful Classic Meet for both. O’Neill’s big day extended his lead in the trainer’s standings, while Jaramillo’s hat trick vaulted him into a tie for first in the jockey’s standings with Juan Hernandez.

O’Neill and Jaramillo teamed to win both the second race with favorite Irish Element ($3.60) and the fourth race with favorite Cosmo Friday ($5.60). O’Neill also won the fifth race with Good Golly Dolly ($4), ridden by Abel Lezcano. Jaramillo got his third victory in the ninth and final race with price horse Chief Resident ($21.40) for trainer Mark Glatt.

O’Neill has won 27 races from 118 starters at the stand (23 percent), which is six more wins than runner-up Mark Glatt. Jaramillo has won 34 races from 160 mounts (21 percent) to share the jockey’s lead with Hernandez.

CTHF HEALTH FAIR FOR BACKSTRETCH WORKERS SET FOR MARCH 23 The California Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Foundation is hosting a health fair for backstretch employees on March 23 at its Santa Anita Clinic from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Attendees can receive a free health screening and also make appointments with the CTHF’s medical, dental and optometry providers. There will also be free haircuts, raffle prizes and healthy snacks to enjoy. Attendees must have a valid license from the California Horse Racing Board to participate.

The CTHF is a non-profit organization that provides medical, dental, optometry, and referral services to the backstretch communities (and their families) in California. It has clinics on-site at Santa Anita Park and Los Alamitos staffed with a doctor, dentists, medical and dental assistants, receptionists, eligibility specialists and administrative professionals. The CTHF medical team also makes regular visits to San Luis Rey Downs in San Diego County.

For more information, please visit cthfcares.org or call (626) 446-0169.

FINISH LINES: Santa Anita is hosting a Celebration of Life for late trainer John Shirreffs Sunday in the Chandelier Room from 1 to 3 p.m…Saturday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:54 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park…Nominations close Sunday for both the GIII Wilshire on March 28 and GIII San Carlos on March 29…