- PAPAPRODROMOU SPELLS WINNER BY ANY NAME
- 1/ST SATURDAY TO BE UNVEILED MARCH 5 WITH 15 STAKES
- VICTORY DRINK FOR TAPWATER IN WISHING WELL?
LONG OR SHORT, TRAINER LOOKS FOR BIG 1/ST SATURDAY MARCH 5
With five syllables, George Papaprodromou has the longest surname of any trainer in California, maybe the United States.
That articulated, he hopes to make short work of his rivals on March 5 when Santa Anita presents a 1/ST Saturday program headed by six lucrative stakes, three Grade I’s and three Grade II’s. These races will be complemented by nine stakes from Gulfstream Park, including the Grade II Fountain of Youth, an iconic prep to the Florida and Kentucky Derbies.
It appears to be a daunting task, but the 45-year-old Papaprodromou is likely to take it all in stride, as is his wont.
Papaprodromou’s American Theorem and Cabo Spirit will be outsiders in their events, the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap presented by Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at a mile and a quarter and the Grade II San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, but “Papa” as he is known to friends, takes a realistic approach.
American Theorem was a Triple Crown hopeful last year as a three-year-old before shin issues dashed those aspirations.
The son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah made his stakes debut as a four-year-old in the San Pasqual on Feb. 5, finishing an eventful sixth behind Big ‘Cap favorite Express Train, who won the 1 1/8-mile race by 3 ¼ lengths.
Papaprodromou also was mulling the Grade II San Carlos Stakes presented by Fan Duel at seven furlongs on March 5 for American Theorem.
“With Flightline out of the San Carlos, we wanted to see who is in the race and make a decision, but most likely he will run in the Big ‘Cap,” Papaprodromou said, acknowledging that American Theorem “had a bad trip (in the San Pasqual).”
Cabo Spirit was coming off four straight turf races before running on dirt and finishing second by 15 lengths behind 3-5 favorite Messier in the Grade II Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Feb. 6.
“We ran him on dirt to figure out if we had a Derby horse or not,” said Papaprodromou, conditioner of the Pioneerof the Nile colt for principal client Rustin Kretz who campaigns as Kretz Racing LLC and owns both American Theorem and Cabo Spirit.
“We knew he likes the turf; he won the (restricted) Eddie Logan at a mile on grass, but this is the time to run him on dirt and see what we’ve got.
“He ran a good second against a good horse of (Bob) Baffert’s (Messier), but we’re going to give him one more chance, we’ll see how he does and go from there.
“We can always go back to the turf if it doesn’t work out.”
In a business where loyalty can have a short shelf life, Papaprodromou has enjoyed a long and successful association with Kretz.
“He’s been the best,” George said without hesitation. “I’ve trained for him some 10 years and couldn’t have a better owner. If it hadn’t been for him, I probably wouldn’t be here right now.
“He supported me all these years and I’m so grateful for it. I met him at the track one day, we claimed one horse, Muchos Besos, who won easy, and the rest is history.”
(Note to nostalgia buffs: Muchos Besos was claimed by Kretz for $12,500 at Hollywood Park on Dec. 9, 2012, coming from fifth in a field of six to win a six-furlong sprint by 3 ¼ lengths under Joe Talamo, paying $5.60 as the second choice. Foaled in 2009, the gray Kentucky-bred son of Macho Uno was a popular campaigner in California until his retirement at age 10, with 12 wins, nine seconds and 15 thirds in a 79-race career. He was the proverbial Horse for Course at Santa Anita where he had 10 wins, six seconds and 11 thirds from 46 starts, earning $242,636 of his career total that reached $335,236).
1/ST SATURDAY, MARCH 5 PROJECTED TO BE MEGA RACING DAY
Saturday, March 5 looms as a massive day of world class racing as Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park team for their inaugural 1/ST Saturday featuring a total of 15 bicoastal stakes.
The Grade I Santa Anita Handicap presented by Yaamava Resort & Casino is but one of three Grade I events to be decided at The Great Race Place on March 5, the others being the Beholder Mile for fillies and mares four and up, and the Frank E. Kilroe Mile on turf for four-year-olds and up.
Generously supporting the prestigious program are three Grade II races, the San Felipe Stakes for three-year-old Triple Crown prospects at 1 1/16 miles; the San Carlos Stakes presented by Fan Duel for sprinters four and older at seven furlongs; and the Buena Vista Stakes for fillies and mares four and older at a mile on grass.
The $400,000, Grade II Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth headlines the program at Gulfstream Park, providing three three-year-old prospects a steppingstone to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (Grade I) on April 2 and the 2022 Triple Crown.
The 76th running of the tradition-rich stakes will also be featured in a mega promotion between Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita, which will play host to a combined 15 graded stakes worth $4.15 million that day.
Gulfstream will offer nine graded stakes worth $1.7 million in purses, while Santa Anita’s card will be graced by six graded-stakes worth $2.45 million.
A player-friendly low takeout (12 percent) Coast to Coast All Turf Stakes Pick 5 and a 12 percent takeout Coast to Coast All Dirt Stakes Pick 5, each with legs run at Gulfstream and Santa Anita, will be among the 1/ST highlights on March 5.
A $5 million free to play contest will offer a $5 million jackpot for an entry or entries with all 15 graded/stakes winners. In the event there are multiple tickets with all 15 winners, the $5 million jackpot will be shared among those winners.
In addition to the Fountain Youth at Gulfstream, the $200,000 Davona Dale (Grade II), a mile race for 3-year-old fillies; $200,000 WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile (Grade II), a mile stakes for 4-year-olds and up; and the $200,000 Mac Diarmida (Grade II), a 1 3/8-mile turf stakes for older horses will be offered.
The following Gulfstream stakes support the March 5 program: the $150,000 Canadian Turf (Grade III), a mile race for four-year-olds and up; the $150,000 Honey Fox (Grade III), a mile turf stakes for older fillies and mares; the $150,000 The Very One (Grade III), a 1 3/8-mile turf test for older fillies and mares; the $125,000 Herecomesthebride (Grade III), a mile turf event for three-year-old fillies; and the $125,000 Palm Beach (Grade III), a mile turf stakes for three-year-olds.
TAPWATER RETURNS TO TURF SPRINT IN WISHING WELL
Tapwater came off 14 straight route races of a mile or longer to find a graded turf sprint to her liking Jan. 9 when beaten a bare head at 10-1 in the Grade III Las Cienegas Stakes.
The six-year-old gray daughter of Tapit owned and bred by LNJ Foxwoods tries what appears to be a softer yet salty turf sprint in Saturday’s $75,000 Wishing Well Stakes for older fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs on the grass.
“She did well in the Las Cienegas and trained very well since,” offered Richard Mandella. “I expect her to run really well.”
Tapwater has been there or thereabouts in each of her 16 races, with three wins, four seconds and three thirds, compiling a bankroll of $221,110.
The Wishing Well, race seven of nine with a 12:30 p.m. first post time: Thrilling, Umberto Rispoli, 4-1; Stella Noir, Drayden Van Dyke, 10-1; Dynasty of Her Own, Ricardo Gonzalez, 6-1; Alice Marble, Edwin Maldonado, 4-1; Spirit of Bermuda, Tyler Baze, 8-1; Tapwater, Joe Bravo, 3-1; and Hear My Prayer, Juan Hernandez, 5-2.
FINISH LINES: Erin go bragh (Ireland forever)–four of the eight horses in Saturday’s first race are Irish-breds: Il Capitano, Almanera, Oh Great and Relaxed Artist . . . Racing oddity: a horse with an eight-syllable name runs in Sunday’s fifth race, a six-year-old gray mare dubbed Circulodeganadoras. Actually, circulo de ganadores (correctly spelled with an e near the end) is Spanish for winner’s circle, and the august Jockey Club permits only 18 characters in horses’ names, including spaces, but with an additional two spaces, the name would be 20 characters long, exceeding regulations by two . . . There were 110 recorded workouts Friday, including a six-furlong bullet in 1:12.40 by Bob Baffert three-year-old Doppelganger, who was fourth by three lengths as the 9-10 favorite in the Grade II San Vicente Stakes on Jan. 29, and is nominated to this year’s San Vicente . . . Saturday’s featured Wishing Well is named for the multiple graded stakes winning dam of 1989 Eclipse Award Horse of the Year Sunday Silence…Jack Carava, former trainer and current agent for jockeys Tyler Baze and Kyle Frey, will be host Tom Quigley‘s simulcast guest Saturday, 11:20 a.m., in the East Paddock Gardens.
FEATURES:
Stronach Pick 5 All-Star Ticket
Preview of the Wishing Wells Stakes
WORKOUTS:
Ian Glass (Sadler) 2-24-22
Pulpit Rider (Puype) 2-24-22
Forbidden Kingdom (Outside) and Micro Share (Mandella) 2-24-22
Blue Devil (Baffert) 2-23-22
Rifey (Stute) 2-23-22
Caisson (Outside) and Ecrivain (Mandella) 2-23-22
Warren’s Memorable (Lewis) 2-21-22
Spielberg (Outside) and Flying Drummer (Baffert) 2-21-22
