- D’AMATO LOCKED AND LOADED FOR 1/ST SATURDAY
- O’NEILL HAS TWO FOR THE MONEY IN SAN FELIPE
- 1/ST SATURDAY HAS SANTA ANITA & GULFSTREAM CENTER STAGE
- EXPRESS TRAIN PREPS FOR SANTA ANITA HANDICAP
A BUSY, BREEZING MORNING FOR D’AMATO
Phil D’Amato had a busy Sunday morning as he prepared several of his elite Thoroughbreds for their lucrative engagements in Santa Anita’s inaugural 1/ST Saturday presentation of stakes races on March 5.
D’Amato, one behind Bob Baffert for Santa Anita’s training lead, has Count Again ticketed for Saturday’s Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile on turf, in which he finished an onrushing third by a half-length last year despite a wide trip.
“He came flying late last year and he’s ready to go, second (race) off the bench,” D’Amato said of the seven-year-old Awesome Again gelding, who won the Grade III Thunder Road Feb. 5 in his first race since the Del Mar Mile last Aug. 21.
Count Again worked five furlongs this morning on the training track in a bullet 59.20.
“Hopefully, he’s locked and loaded,” said D’Amato, who also has Miss Bigley pointed to Saturday’s Grade I Beholder Mile.
A six-year-old Gemologist mare who won the Grade III Bayakoa at Oaklawn Park Feb. 12, Miss Bigley worked today.
“She had a good breeze, 59 and change (officially a minute flat for five furlongs) and she’s ready to go,” D’Amato said. “Ramon Vasquez, who won the Bayakoa on her, will fly in to ride her in the Beholder.”
Miss Bigley has an 8-4-8 record from 26 starts with earnings of $641,242.
And last but not least, Leggs Galore returns in Saturday’s Grade II Buena Vista Stakes for fillies and mares four and up at a mile on turf.
“She worked five furlongs on the training track in 59.80 this morning at 8:30,” said D’Amato, who also will enter streaking Tony Ann in the Buena Vista.
A gray daughter of Cairo Prince, Tony Ann will be making her stakes debut after three straight overnight victories under Umberto Rispoli.
O’NEILL OK IN SAN FELIPE, TEAM MERCHANTS ON HOLD
Happy Jack and Worse Read Sanchez will represent Doug O’Neill in Saturday’s Grade II San Felipe Stakes, a major West Coast prep for the Grade I Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 9 and beyond that the Kentucky Derby on May 7.
“We might have brought back Happy Jack a little too quick,” said O’Neill in explaining his disappointing fifth in the Feb. 6 Robert Lewis Stakes in which he was 27 ¼ lengths behind Messier, who won the race by 15 lengths.
The Lewis was only two weeks from Happy Jack’s previous race, a maiden victory on Jan. 22.
“We freshened him up a bit and we’re taking the blinkers off,” O’Neill said. “Abel (Cedillo) worked him yesterday a solid seven-eighths (in 1:26.20). He looked well and we expect him to rebound and get back to his debut effort.”
The San Felipe offers 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, 20 to the runner-up, 10 to the third-place finisher and five to the fourth.
O’Neill also has Reddam Racing’s Team Merchants nominated to Saturday’s Frank E. Kilroe Mile and the San Carlos Stakes presented by Fan Duel.
“We’re going to look at both spots,” O’Neill said. “He could go either way but we’ll look at which one will give him the best chance, although we’re kind of leaning on Matt Nakatani (agent for Mario Gutierrez) to help us decide.”
Gutierrez, the go-to rider for Reddam Racing, has ridden Team Merchants in his last seven races, winning once on both turf and dirt.
O’Neill plans to leave for Dubai Wednesday and stay through Sunday visiting with Hot Rod Charlie as he continues preparation for the 12 million Dubai World Cup on March 26.
1/ST SATURDAY A BIG DAY FOR 1/ST RACING SISTER TRACKS
This Saturday’s inaugural 1/ST Saturday is an unprecedented racing day for 1/ST Racing sister tracks Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park.
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 that day, 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 Coast to Coast All Turf Stakes Pick 5 and a Coast to Coast All Dirt Stakes Pick 5, each with legs run at Gulfstream and Santa Anita and each featuring a low 12 percent takeout, will be among the highlights of the 1/ST Saturday promotion. Additionally, a free contest will offer a $5 million jackpot for an entry or entries with all 15 graded/stakes winners.
Along with the Grade II 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 Saturday’s program: the $150,000 Canadian Turf (Grade III), a mile race for four-year-olds and up; $150,000 Honey Fox (Grade III), a mile turf stakes for older fillies and mares; $150,000 The Very One (Grade III), a 1 3/8-mile turf test for older fillies and mares; $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.
FINISH LINES: San Pasqual winner Express Train, likely favorite for the Santa Anita Handicap, led a list of Sunday workers for the race, going five furlongs in 1:01.80 under the guidance of trainer John Shirreffs. Also breezing were Big ‘Cap nominees Award Winner (six furlongs in 1:15.20 for David Hofmans), and Cezanne and Spielberg (each a bullet six furlongs in 1:12.60 for Bob Baffert). In all there were 183 recorded workouts this morning, 48 on the training track . . . Undefeated Ain’t Easy worked six furlongs in 1:14.60 handily from gate for Phil D’Amato, who is pointing the $400,000 daughter of Into Mischief for her return in this Sunday’s Grade II Santa Ynez Stakes . . . John Sadler reports undefeated Grade I Runhappy Malibu winner Flightline will return to the track this Saturday after recovering from a hock injury that caused him to miss the San Carlos Stakes on Saturday . . . Congrats to Ryan Curatolo and apprentice Diego Herrera on posting doubles yesterday, Curatolo lighting up the board in the ninth race across the board to the tune of $73.40, $29.40 and $16.20 with first-time starter Tofino Bay for Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale, who sends out horses that win first time out about as often as Steph Curry misses three-pointers.
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WORKOUTS:
Fi Fi Pharoah (Solis) 2-26-22
Gregorian Chant (D’Amato) 2-26-22
Majestic Steps (Eurton) 2-26-22
Arrabiata (O’Neill) 2-26-22
Doppelganger (Outside) and Armagnac (Baffert) 2-25-22
Dream Shake (Eurton) 2-25-22
In What Blazes (Sadler) 2-25-22
Vegas Palm (G. Mandella) 2-25-22
Caribou Club (McCarthy) 2-25-22
Ian Glass (Sadler) 2-24-22
Pulpit Rider (Puype) 2-24-22
Forbidden Kingdom (Outside) and Micro Share (Mandella) 2-24-22
