SANTA ANITA STAKES PREVIEWS: GI SPRINT, GII CITY OF HOPE MILE

By Mike Willman —-

Roy H and jockey Kent Desormeaux win the Grade II, $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes, Saturday, February 3, 2018 at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia CA.
© BENOIT PHOTO

RACE IS A BREEDERS’ CUP ‘WIN AND YOU’RE IN’ QUALIFIER TO GRADE I BC SPRINT

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 3, 2018)—Top sprinters Roy H and Ransom the Moon will renew their rivalry as they head a field of five 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs in Saturday’s Grade I, $300,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, which is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” qualifier to the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.

The defending champ in both the Santa Anita Sprint Championship and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, the Peter Miller-trained Roy H comes off a 2 ¼ length defeat at the hands of the Phil D’Amato-conditioned Ransom the Moon in the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes on July 28 and this Saturday’s Sprint Championship will mark their fourth meeting.

ROY H

Owner: Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen

Trainer: Peter Miller

The 6-5 favorite in the Crosby at Del Mar, Roy H, who had been idle since running a close third in the Group I Dubai Golden Shaheen March 31, will likely be favored on Saturday as he tries to defeat Ransom the Moon for the third time in what will be four meetings. Ridden by Kent Desormeaux over his last five starts, including three consecutive victories in last year’s Santa Anita Sprint Championship, the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the Grade II Palos Verdes here on Feb. 3, Roy H will be handled on Saturday by eastern-based Paco Lopez, who guided the 6-year-old More Than Ready gelding to a second place finish in the 2017 Bing Crosby as well as a 2 ½ length win in the Grade II, six furlong True North Stakes at Belmont Park in June, 2017. Highly accomplished and a winner of three out of his five Santa Anita starts, Roy H looms the horse to beat on Saturday.

RANSOM THE MOON

Owner: Agave Racing Stable and Jeffry Wilke

Trainer: Phil D’Amato

Although well beaten by Roy H in both the 2017 Santa Anita Sprint Championship and Breeders’ Cup Sprint, he flew late under regular rider Flavien Prat to win the Bing Crosby going away 2 ¼ lengths on July 28 and his connections will hope to have another fast pace to run at on Saturday. Fifth two starts back in the one turn Metropolitan Mile Handicap at Belmont June 9, this 6-year-old full horse by Malibu Moon has two wins from four starts at six furlongs—both of them coming in the Grade I Crosby at Del Mar. After a steady career as an allowance-type sprinter at Woodbine, Ransom the Moon was transferred nine starts back to D’Amato in December of 2016 and the results have been dramatic. A winner of the Grade II Kona Gold Stakes here in his second local start, Ransom the Moon is now a three-time graded stakes winner who’s made $712,800 out of his total bankroll of $848,829 under D’Amato’s care.

THE GRADE I SANTA ANITA SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP IN POST ORDER WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS

Race 5 of 11 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT

Horse Greedy—Stewart Elliott – 121
Roy H—Paco Lopez—125
Distinctive B—Drayden Van Dyke—121
Edwards Going Left—Tyler Baze—121
Ransom the Moon—Flavien Prat – 125

First post time for an 11-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit Santa Anita’s ‘Live Racing’ page.

SHARP SAMURAI, WHITE FLAG, FLY TO MARS & DOUBLE TOUCH ALL PROMINENT IN SATURDAY’S GRADE II, $200,000 CITY OF HOPE MILE (TURF) AT SANTA ANITA

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 3, 2018)—In what could likely develop into all-out charge to the wire, Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 City of Hope Mile (turf) has attracted a field of nine 3-year-olds and up and is headed by trainer Mark Glatt’s hard knocking Sharp Samurai, who will be handled by wily veteran Hall of Famer Gary Stevens. Most recently second in the Grade II Del Mar Mile Handicap on turf Aug. 19, Sharp Samurai seeks his fourth graded stakes win here on Saturday.

Among those who also rate huge chances in the City of Hope Mile are trainer Christophe Clement’s White Flag, who comes off a close second in the Grade III Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint on Sept. 8, Peter Miller’s California-bred Fly to Mars, who was disqualified to third after finishing 1 ½ lengths in front of Sharp Samurai in the Del Mar Mile and Dan Blacker’s English-bred Double Touch, who earned a lofty Beyer Speed figure in winning the restricted Wickerr Stakes on July 22.

SHARP SAMURAI

Owner: Red Baron’s Barn, LLC, Rancho Temescal and Mark Glatt

Trainer: Mark Glatt

A winner of four consecutive turf stakes last year (all in combination with Gary Stevens), culminating with a score here in the Grade II Twilight Derby at 1 1/8 miles on Oct. 28, he was freshened by Glatt following a close fourth place run as the 7-5 favorite in Del Mar’s Grade I Hollywood Derby on Nov. 25. A classified allowance winner here in his comeback June 17, he was then a tough-luck second, beaten a neck in the Grade I Eddie Read Stakes July 22. Bothered in deep stretch when finishing third in the Del Mar Mile Aug. 19, this 4-year-old gelded son of First Samurai looms the horse to beat as he seeks his fourth graded stakes win and his eighth victory from 14 lifetime starts.

WHITE FLAG

Owner: Robert S. Evans

Trainer: Christophe Clement

A proven late-running sprinter on grass, this 4-year-old War Front colt flew late to finish second, beaten a head, in the Grade III Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint going 6 ½ furlongs on Sept. 8. With an overall mark of 11-4-2-3, White Flag, who is based at Belmont Park, will hope to be rolling late under Kent Desormeaux, who will be up for the first time as the Robert Evans homebred seeks his first graded stakes win.

FLY TO MARS

Owner: Gary Barber

Trainer: Peter Miller

The lone California-bred in the field, this 4-year-old Ministers Wild Cat gelding sports the best last-out Beyer Speed figure, as he recorded a career-top 103 in finishing second, 1 ½ lengths in front of Sharp Samurai in the Grade II Del Mar Handicap Aug. 19. Erratic in the stretch, he was disqualified to third by the stewards while ridden by eastern-based Tyler Gaffalione. Fly to Mars will be reunited with Flavien Prat on Saturday, who rode him to a pair of consecutive victories while pressing the early pace in both a one mile turf allowance here on June 10 and a 1 1/16 miles turf Cal-bred stakes at Del Mar July 28. With an overall mark of 15-5-2-2 and earnings of $287,358, he’s a solid fit as he seeks his first graded win.

DOUBLE TOUCH

Owner: Radley Equine, Inc., Roadrunner Racing, R. Gold, Scott MacDonald and K. Smole

Trainer: Dan Blacker

A surprise 29-1 winner when ridden from well off the pace in the restricted one mile turf Wickerr Stakes on July 22 by Gary Stevens, he’ll be handled for the first time by Alonso Quinonez in the City of Hope Mile. Although well beaten by Sharp Samurai in two graded stakes last year, this 4-year-old English-bred gelding appears to be coming to his best, evidenced by his 96 Beyer Speed figure in the Wickerr—easily the best of eight stateside starts with Blacker. With Stevens opting to stick with Sharp Samurai, Double Touch’s fate would appear to rest in large part with the early pace, as the very capable turf rider Alonso Quinonez will hope to pick up tiring horses as he swings for home.

THE GRADE II CITY OF HOPE MILE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 11 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

Double Touch—Alonso Quinonez—121
White Flag—Kent Desormeaux—121
Le Ken—Tyler Baze—121
Flamboyant—Rafael Bejarano—121
Ohio—Drayden Van Dyke—121
Pyscho Sister—Edwin Maldonado—118
Mithqaal—Paco Lopez—121
Sharp Samurai—Gary Stevens—123
Fly to Mars—Flavien Prat–121