Saturday’s Grade 2 San Gorgonio Handicap (1 1/8 miles on turf) at Santa Anita will mark the anticipated return of Life Is Sweet, the John Shirreffs-trained heroine of the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic. Life Is Sweet spent much of last year in the shadow of her superstar stablemate Zenyatta, though she did string together three graded stakes wins at Santa Anita early in 2009. The Storm Cat mare ran on synthetic surfaces in all eight of her starts last year and returns to the turf for the first time since her 3-year-old year. The San Gorgonio (named for the highest peak in Southern California) also has attracted Gary Stevens trainee Diamondrella, third in her last out in the G3 Matriarch.

Sunday’s Santa Anita card will feature fillies and mares going about 6 ½ furlongs on the famed Hillside turf course in the G3 Monrovia Handicap. High-weighted at 121 lbs. is Tuscan Evening, an Irish-bred mare from the Jerry Hollendorfer barn. Tuscan Evening won two Grade 2 races last year and will have the services of Rafael Bejarano.

On the right coast, Gulfstream Park opens its meet on Sunday with the G3 Hal’s Hope, for 4-year-olds and up going a mile on dirt. Todd Pletcher will likely have the two top betting choices, Quality Road (6-5 on the morning line with John Velazquez aboard) and Harlem Rocker, who will have Eibar Coa in the irons.