EARNHARDT’S HOMEBRED AX MAN HEADS SATURDAY’S GRADE II, $200,000 SAN VICENTE STAKES

By Mike Willman —-

Ax Man; All photos by Benoit

EARNHARDT’S HOMEBRED AX MAN HEADS SATURDAY’S GRADE II, $200,000 SAN VICENTE STAKES AT SEVEN FURLONGS

ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 7, 2018)—A promising pair of homebreds, Hal and Patti Earnhardt’s Ax Man and Kaleem Shah’s All Out Blitz head a field of six sophomores going seven furlongs in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita. To be run for the 78th time, the San Vicente serves as a traditional prep to the Grade I, $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 7.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Ax Man, a devastating 9 ½ length first-out maiden winner going six furlongs here on Jan. 1, will hope to lead his connections down the Derby Trail with another impressive score as he approaches a two-turn assignment in the near future.

Trained by Simon Callaghan, All Out Blitz cuts back in distance following a second place finish to Baffert’s highly regarded McKinzie in the Grade III, one mile Sham Stakes on Jan. 6. A gutty nose maiden winner two starts back on Dec. 17 at Los Alamitos, All Out Blitz would appear better suited sprinting.

AX MAN

Owner: Patti and Hal Earnhardt III Trainer: Bob Baffert

By Baffert’s 2010 Santa Anita Handicap winner, Misremembered, Ax Man is out of Earnhardt’s Flying Chevron mare Shameful, and is thus a half brother to two-time Eclipse Champ Indian Blessing. Off at 7-5 versus nine rivals in his debut, Ax Man was further flattered by the fact trainer Mike Pender’s Lombo, who finished third, beaten 10 ½ lengths, came back to easily win this past Saturday’s Grade III Robert B. Lewis Stakes at a mile and one sixteenth. With Drayden Van Dyke set to ride him back, Ax Man figures to pose an elusive front-running target in the San Vicente.

ALL OUT BLITZ

Owner: Kaleem Shah, Inc. Trainer: Simon Callaghan

Bred in Kentucky by Shah, All Out Blitz is by Concord Point, a son of super-stallion Tapit. Sent to the front in the Lewis, All Out Blitz finished four lengths in front of the third horse, but was no match for McKinzie through the drive, as he was beaten 3 ½ lengths at odds of 14-1. Unlike Ax Man, he is not Triple Crown nominated and may be kept at sprint distances for the time being. With a win, a second and a third place finish from his four starts, All Out Blitz will likely sit second early under Tyler Baze as they try to keep the favorite within their sights.

KRIS’ ROCKET KAT

Owner: JK Racing Stable, LLC or Chandler Trainer: Richard Baltas

Idle since an impressive 3 ¼ length maiden win going six furlongs on Nov. 25 at Del Mar, this chestnut colt by Eskendereya will hope to get on the Derby Trail with a big effort off the bench on Saturday. A well-beaten fifth in his debut here Sept. 30 at odds of 21-1, he was off at 4-1 in a field of 11 for the maiden score. A $105,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, he’d make that investment look like a bargain should he pull off an upset in the San Vicente.

THE GRADE II SAN VICENTE STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 5 of 10 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT

Ax Man—Drayden Van Dyke—120
Mr. Jagermeister—Geovanni Franco—120
Nero—Victor Espinoza—120
All Out Blitz—Tyler Baze–120
Kanthaka—Flavien Prat—120
Kris’ Rocket Kat—Rafael Bejarano–120

First post time for a 10-race card on Saturday is at 12 noon. Admission gates open at 10 a.m.

About Us

Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.