LONG FUSED CLEOPATRA’S STRIKE HEADS SATURDAY’S GRADE II SAN GABRIEL STAKES

By Mike Willman —-

CLEOPATRA’S STRIKE
BENOIT PHOTO

LONG FUSED CLEOPATRA’S STRIKE HEADS SATURDAY’S GRADE II, $200,000 SAN GABRIEL STAKES AT 1 1/8 MILES ON TURF; FIRST POST TIME AT 11:30 A.M.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 1, 2020)—Trainer Phil D’Amato’s Cleopatra’s Strike, a 7-year-old Ontario Canadian-bred gelding, heads a field of seven older horses going a mile and one eighth on turf in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes at Santa Anita.

Most recently a close fourth in the Grade II Hollywood Turf Cup going 1 ½ miles on Dec. 1 at Del Mar, this chestnut son of Smart Strike took the Grade II John Henry Turf Championship here at Santa Anita two starts back on Sept. 28.

D’Amato will also send out Overdue, who although ninth in the Hollywood Turf Cup, had posted solid Beyer Speed figures in a pair of turf allowance victories leading into his most recent start.

Claimed 13 starts back for $20,000, the Richard Baltas-conditioned North County Guy sped to a one length, gate to wire victory in a mile and three eighths turf allowance on Nov. 24 at Del Mar, earning a career-top 92 Beyer in the process.

CLEOPATRA’S STRIKE

Owner: Slam Dunk Racing and Michael Nentwig
Trainer: Phil D’Amato

Lightly raced in 2019, this Smart Strike gelding had one win and two seconds from four starts, good for earnings of $185,400. Ridden by Manuel Franco when beaten one length by eastern invader Oscar Dominguez in the Hollywood Turf Cup, he’ll be reunited with Abel Cedillo, who orchestrated his John Henry win at a mile and one eighth two starts back. Second, beaten a nose in last year’s San Gabriel, “Cleopatra” looks like the horse to beat on Saturday.

OVERDUE

Owner: H & E Ranch, Inc.
Trainer: Phil D’Amato

Off at 7-1 in the Hollywood Turf Cup Dec. 1, Overdue stalked the early pace but tired badly late to finish ninth under Mike Smith, who will be riding him for the fourth consecutive time. A half length turf allowance winner three starts back at Del Mar going 1 1/16 miles, he was up to win a second condition allowance at 1 1/8 miles on turf here on Oct. 5. With an overall mark of 8-3-2-1, this 5-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Overanalyze will be making his second stakes start on Saturday.

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

Race 8 of 10 Approximate post time 3 p.m. PT

1. Desert Stone—Geovanni Franco—120
2. Chosen Vessel—Tyler Baze—120
3. Cleopatra’s Strike—Abel Cedillo—124
4. Overdue—Mike Smith—120
5. North County Guy—Mario Gutierrez—120
6. Majestic Eagle—Rafael Bejarano—122
7. Acker—Joel Rosario—120

Special early first post time for a 10-race program on Saturday is at 11:30 a.m. Admission gates will open at 9:30 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

ABOUT SANTA ANITA PARK
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.

ABOUT THE STRONACH GROUP
The Stronach Group (TSG) is a world-class entertainment, real estate and development company with Thoroughbred horse racing at the core. The company’s mission is executed through the distinct but interconnected pillars of Racing and Gaming, Entertainment, Technology and Real Estate Development. TSG is dedicated to delivering the best in class Thoroughbred horse racing content and operations. The company holds some of the greatest brands in the industry including, Southern California’s Santa Anita Park, “The Great Race Place”; South Florida’s Gulfstream Park, home to the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series and retail destination, The Village at Gulfstream Park; Pimlico Race Course, home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Laurel Park in Maryland; and the San Francisco Bay Area’s, Golden Gate Fields. TSG is a leader in digital and mobile wagering technology through its subsidiaries AmTote and Xpressbet and is a major distributor of horseracing content to a global audience through Monarch Content Management and XBTV.