FRENCH-BRED MURAD KHAN & ENGLISH-BRED GREGORIAN CHANT HEAD SUNDAY’S $70,000 LURE STAKES

By Mike Willman —-

MANDATORY PAYOUTS IN ALL CLOSING DAY EXOTICS, INCLUDING 20 CENT RAINBOW PICK SIX

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 22, 2020)—Doug O’Neill’s French-bred Murad Khan and Phil D’Amato’s English-bred Gregorian Chant head a field of a half dozen 3-year-olds and up in Sunday’s $70,000 Lure Stakes at Santa Anita.

Claimed for $50,000 seven starts back on Jan. 24, 7-year-old Murad Khan comes off a solid second in a 1 1/16 mile turf classified allowance Aug. 21 and looms the possible favorite.

Gregorian Chant rallied for an upset victory in a 1 1/16 mile turf allowance on Aug. 29 and although he’s winless in four tries at one mile turf, rates a huge chance with Juan Hernandez riding back.

MURAD KHAN

Owner: R3 Racing, LLC, Calara Farms & Steve Rothblum

Trainer: Doug O’Neill

A 7-year-old gelding by 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Raven’s Pass, Murad Khan will be making his 18th stateside start and his 29th overall on Sunday. Still plenty productive at age seven, he’ll be making his eighth start of the year and his seventh for O’Neill. With six wins from 15 tries at a mile on turf, he has an overall mark of 28-8-4-4 and will be ridden back by Abel Cedillo, who dating back to November of last year, has ridden him four times—good for a win, a second (on Aug. 21), a third and a close sixth place finish.

GREGORIAN CHANT

Owner: Old Bones Racing Stable, LLC, Slam Dunk Racing & Michael Nentwig

Trainer: Phil D’Amato

In his best race to date, this 4-year-old gelding rallied for a neck victory in a second condition allowance going a mile and one sixteenth on turf Aug. 29 at Del Mar. Ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez, Gregorian Chant was off at 7-1 and registered his second stateside win from nine starts, all with D’Amato. With Hernandez back aboard on Sunday, he’ll be bidding for his first stakes win and his fourth victory from 11 overall starts.

THE $70,000 LURE STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

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

Grecian Fire—Mike Smith–126
Majestic Eagle—Mario Gutierrez—126
One Bad Boy—Flavien Prat—126
Murad Khan—Abel Cedillo—124
Gregorian Chant—Juan Hernandez—124
The Black Album—Ricky Gonzalez–126

First post time for an 11-race card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. Sunday is also closing day for Santa Anita’s current Autumn Meeting and there will be mandatory payouts in the 20 cent Rainbow Pick Six Jackpot and all other exotic wagers. Santa Anita’s races and its entire simulcast presentation can be viewed live and free of charge of charge at santaanita.com.

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