CYPRESS, Calif. – Prior to a troubled third-place finish in a turf sprint at Del Mar in July, Alice Marble won consecutive dirt sprints at Santa Anita at the start of her 2021 campaign. A 4-year-old filly, Alice Marble has not raced since the loss in July and returns to dirt in an allowance race at 5 1/2 furlongs on Thursday at Los Alamitos. Alice Marble has an excellent chance for a win if she can beat an equally talented stablemate in Althea Gibson. Trainer Phil D’Amato was reluctant to pick between them last weekend. “I would say it’s about a dead heat there,” D’Amato said. “They’re comparable in style and comparable in tactical position. They can do a little bit of everything.” The two fillies are owned by breeder Nick Alexander and are California-breds by his stallion Grazen. Alice Marble and Althea Gibson are part of a field of nine in the fifth of eight races Thursday. First post is 12:30 p.m. Pacific. Thursday’s program marks the start of a four-day racing week through Sunday, the final week of the Los Alamitos December meeting. Santa Anita begins its winter-spring meeting Dec. 26. :: DRF Bets players get free Daily Racing Form Past Performances and up to 5% weekly cashback. Click to learn more. Alice Marble has won 2 of 6 starts. In the turf sprint in July, Alice Marble raced in traffic shortly after the start and recovered to finish well, missing by a half-length as the 7-5 favorite. “She had a lot of trouble,” D’Amato said. Alice Marble was part of a productive race. Miss Carousel, After Midnight, and Trina, who were first, second, and fourth, returned to win their next starts. The D’Amato-trained Lava Lane was fifth and won two starts later. Althea Gibson won an allowance race for California-bred fillies and mares at 5 1/2 furlongs at Los Alamitos last December, but is winless in two starts on turf this year. Althea Gibson was seventh of 12 in an allowance race at five furlongs on turf on Sept. 6 at Del Mar, racing in traffic on the turn. “I’m not sure five furlongs is quite what she wants to do,” D’Amato said. “I think 5 1/2 or six [furlongs] will suit her better. “She’s got an extra half-furlong in this race and a nice post position. It looks like there is a ton of gas, and I think she’ll be more stalking-ish and we’ll see how the race shapes up.” The allowance race is the first start since April for Governor Goteven, who is winless in four starts since the Generous Portion Stakes for statebred 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar in August 2020. Trained by Walther Solis, Governor Goteven has not raced since she finished eighth of nine in the Evening Jewel Stakes for statebred 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita in April. Governor Goteven and Eyes Open, who drew the outside post, have shown speed. Eyes Open, trained by Dan Blacker, was fourth in an allowance race at six furlongs on Nov. 21 at Del Mar after racing within a neck of the lead with a quarter-mile remaining.