Classy Oakhurst Tops Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes

By Mike Willman —-

Oakhurst; Benoit

CLASSY OAKHURST TOPS SATURDAY’S GRADE III, $100,000 ROBERT J. FRANKEL STAKES AS FILLIES & MARES GO A MILE AND ONE EIGHTH ON TURF

ARCADIA, CA—A winner at the distance, Phil D’Amato’s classy Oakhurst fits nicely atop a field of six fillies and mares going a mile and one eighth on turf in Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes at Santa Anita.

Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Oakhurst comes off an even sixth place finish going a mile and three eighths on grass in the Grade III Red Carpet Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 23. Oakhurst who was a close fourth at a mile and one eighth three races back in the Grade II John C. Mabee Stakes Sept. 9, will be handled by Flavien Prat on Saturday.

A 4-year-old daughter of the Pulpit stallion Mr Speaker out of the Dynaformer mare Happiness Is, Oakhurst has one win from six starts with D’Amato, who sent her out to a close fourth place finish in her first Southern California start six races back—the Grade I American Oaks on Dec. 26, 2022.

Originally trained on the east coast by Chad Brown, Oakhurst has three wins from 14 overall starts and earnings of $249,445.

On the improve for trainer Paddy Gallagher, Irish-bred Yerwanthere, a first condition allowance winner two starts back going one mile on turf here on Oct. 28, rallied from well off the pace to finish second, beaten three quarters of a length going a mile on grass in the restricted Kathryn Crosby Stakes Nov. 11 and will hope to be rolling late again as she tries an extra furlong for the first time.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Yerwanthere, a 4-year-old filly, had two wins from five starts in Ireland and England and is three for eight overall with Umberto Rispoli riding back.

D’Amato will also saddle Lakota Spirit, who like Yerwanthere, is a “now” horse who comes off three solid races, her most recent a one mile turf win in a first condition allowance on Nov. 26.

A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Curlin, Lakota Spirit, in what will be her fourth start since relocating to Southern California with D’Amato, will be ridden back by regular pilot Juan Hernandez.

Owned by Peter Brandt and Mrs. Paul Shanahan, Lakota Spirit had one win from six starts with Chad Brown and is 9-2-4-1 overall with earnings of $156,265.

Race 3 of 9 Approximate post time 1 p.m. PT

THE GRADE III ROBERT J. FRANKEL WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Lakota Spirit—Juan Hernandez—121
Rebel Girl—Lanfranco Dettori—121
Angel Nadeshiko—Antonio Fresu—121
Luminiferous—Kazushi Kimura—121
Oakhurst—Flavien Prat—121
Yerwanthere—Umberto Rispoli—121

IRISH-BRED BALNIKHOV TOPS SATURDAY’S GRADE II, $200,000 JOE HERNANDEZ STAKES AS FIELD OF 12 GOES ABOUT 6 ½ FURLONGS DOWN HILLSIDE TURF

ARCADIA, CA (Dec. 27, 2023)—Phil D’Amato’s classy Irish-bred Balnikhov cuts back in distance and heads a field of 12 three-year-olds an up going about 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s one of a kind hillside turf course in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes.

A fast finishing third, beaten one length going a mile and one sixteenth over the Del Mar lawn in the Grade II Seabiscuit Handicap Nov. 25, Balnikhov, a two-time graded stakes winner on grass, will be trying the hillside course for the first time on Saturday and will be ridden by Antonio Fresu, who guided him to a narrow second place finish four starts back in the Grade II Eddie Read Stakes on July 30.

A 4-year-old gelding owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC and Old Bones Racing Stable, LLC, Balnikhov’s last win came six starts back in the Grade III San Francisco Mile on April 29. Although winless since then, he has competed well in a series of graded turf stakes at distances of 6 ½ furlongs to a mile and one eighth.

A winner of three stakes from 14 stateside stakes starts with D’Amato, Balnikhov is 22-6-5-3 overall with earnings of $664,343.

Most recently second, beaten 1 ¾ lengths going five furlongs on turf in Del Mar’s Stormy Liberal Stakes Dec. 2, D’Amato’s Irish-bred Turn On The Jets gives the stable a powerful one-two punch. A first condition allowance winner going five furlongs on turf in his U.S. debut nine starts back in August, 2022, this 4-year-old gelding was subsequently a close second and third in a pair of second condition hillside allowances here in October and November of 2022 and will thus be making his third career hillside appearance on Saturday.

Owned by the Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Michael Nentwig, et al, Turn on the Jets, who can make or press the early lead if need-be, will be reunited with Juan Hernandez, who has won with him twice from six engagements.

Winless but close in his five Southern California starts, four of them stakes, Mark Glatt’s Irish-bred I’m A Gambler has shown an affinity for the hillside course in his last start and rates a huge chance with Frankie Dettori taking over for the first time.

Fourth, beaten one length down the hill in the Grade II Eddie D Stakes two starts back on Sept. 30, I’m A Gambler was most recently fifth, beaten 1 ¼ lengths down the hill in a classified allowance Oct. 29, a race in which he was off at odds of 2-1 in a field of eight.

A winner of nine out of his 24 starts in both England and Ireland, I’m A Gambler, a 4-year-old gelding, is 29-9-4-3 overall. Owned by Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal, he has earnings of $312,695.

Race 1 of 9 Post time 12 p.m. PT

THE GRADE II JOE HERNANDEZ WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Lucky Score—Edwin Maldonado—125
Balnikhov—Antonio Fresu—123
Daniel’s Magic—Kazushi Kimura—121
Forbidden Kingdom—Flavien Prat—121
Peaceful Waters—Hector Berrios—121
I’m A Gambler—Lanfranco Dettori—121
Lovesick Blues—Tyler Baze—121
Johnny Podres—Kyle Frey—121
Tahoe Sunrise—Victor Espinoza—119
Turn On The Jets—Juan Hernandez—121
Olympic Runner—Umberto Rispoli—121
Front Run the Fed—Geovanni Franco—121

ALSO ELIGIBLE

Dancing Buck—Edwin Maldonado—121

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12 noon with admission gates opening at 10 a.m.