O’NEILL’S WILDMAN JACK HEADS FRIDAY’S GRADE II, $200,000 EDDIE D STAKES

By Mike Willman —-

O’NEILL’S WILDMAN JACK HEADS FRIDAY’S GRADE II, $200,000 EDDIE D STAKES AS FIELD OF SEVEN GOES 5 ½ FURLONGS ON TURF

ARCADIA, Calif.—A graded stakes winning turf sprinter who was most recently a close fourth in a Grade I sprint on dirt, trainer Doug O’Neill’s Wildman Jack looks like the horse to beat among a field of seven 3-year-olds and up in Friday’s Grade II, $200,000 Eddie Stakes at Santa Anita. The Eddie D, to be run at 5 ½ furlongs on turf, will serve as the main event on a 10-race Autumn Meet opening day card.

A W.C. Racing homebred 4-year-old gelding by O’Neill’s 2013 Santa Anita Derby winner Goldencents, Wildman Jack was last seen at Santa Anita winning the Grade III Daytona Stakes three starts back on May 23.

Fresh off the best race of his career, California-bred El Tigre Terrible returns to turf for trainer Peter Miller and retains the services of Flavien Prat, who comes off another meet-leading performance at Del Mar this summer.

Named in honor of the retired all time great Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, the Eddie D was run as the Morvich Stakes prior to being renamed in 2012. Delahoussaye won the 1984 Morvich aboard the Eddie Gregson-trained Tsunami Slew.

WILDMAN JACK

Owner: W.C. Racing, Inc.

Trainer: Doug O’Neill

Head and head for the lead throughout, Wildman Jack, a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding, had to settle for fourth money when beaten 1 ½ lengths going six furlongs in the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes on Aug. 1. Following his win in the Daytona here in May, Wildman Jack was off as the 3-1 favorite in a Grade II turf sprint going 5 ½ furlongs at Keeneland, but trailed throughout, finishing last by 7 ¾ lengths. With his performance in the Crosby serving as notice he’s back to his best, he should be tough to beat in Friday’s Eddie D.

EL TIGRE TERRIBLE

Owner: Slam Dunk Racing & Michael Nentwig

Trainer: Peter Miller

Off as the even money favorite in the state-bred Real Good Deal Stakes going seven furlongs at Del Mar July 31, this 3-year-old gelding by Smiling Tiger rallied four-wide turning for and won going away by 4 ¾ lengths. Well beaten at 7-2 two starts back in the one mile turf Oceanside Stakes July 10, he was a close second in the Desert Code Stakes going 5 ½ furlongs on turf here June 6—which was his first start of 2020. A winner versus open company of the 2019 Speakeasy Stakes going five furlongs on turf here on Oct. 6, El Tigre Terrible, who was purchased for a bargain $18,000 out of the 2018 Barretts October Yearling Sale, has won four out of his eight starts and has banked $210,510.

THE GRADE II EDDIE D STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 10 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

Wildman Jack—Abel Cedillo—126
Give Me the Lute—Drayden Van Dyke–124
Mr Vargas—Tyler Baze—126
Grit and Curiosity—Luis Saez—124
Sparky Ville—Mike Smith—126
El Tigre Terrible—Flavien Prat—120
Big Runnuer—Juan Hernandez—124

With the Grade II Eddie D and the Grade III, $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes serving as co-feature, first post time for a 10-race card on opening day, Friday, is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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