Race Preview: San Gabriel Stakes - January 4, 2014
Santa Anita
San Gabriel Stakes
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Race 8, Post Time 7:00 pm ET
DUBAI YOU X Y Z has a lot of layoff lines in his past performances, but when he runs, expect a good performance. In 10 starts, the seven-year-old gelding has six wins, two seconds and one third. His worst race was a sixth place finish in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile in 2012. If there is one knock, it's his lack of stakes experience. The likely post time favorite for the race is JERANIMO, last year's winner of the San Gabriel. Since then he has one win in six starts, scoring in the Grade 1 Eddie Read at Del Mar this summer. Jeranimo is reunited with jockey Rafael Bejarano, who was aboard for the Eddie Read and San Gabriel. Every once in awhile SLIM SHADEY puts together a race that would be good enough to win this, but it has been those are few and far between. He does catch a field without a lot of early speed and should be out on the front end alone. Normally this is a good thing; however, speed does not appear to be holding well on the Santa Anita turf course. TE RAPA is the long shot for the exotics while UTOPIAN has the look of a John Shirreffs bomber.
DUBAI YOU X Y Z has a lot of layoff lines in his past performances, but when he runs, expect a good performance. In 10 starts, the seven-year-old gelding has six wins, two seconds and one third. His worst race was a sixth place finish in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile in 2012. If there is one knock, it's his lack of stakes experience. The likely post time favorite for the race is JERANIMO, last year's winner of the San Gabriel. Since then he has one win in six starts, scoring in the Grade 1 Eddie Read at Del Mar this summer. Jeranimo is reunited with jockey Rafael Bejarano, who was aboard for the Eddie Read and San Gabriel. Every once in awhile SLIM SHADEY puts together a race that would be good enough to win this, but it has been those are few and far between. He does catch a field without a lot of early speed and should be out on the front end alone. Normally this is a good thing; however, speed does not appear to be holding well on the Santa Anita turf course. TE RAPA is the long shot for the exotics while UTOPIAN has the look of a John Shirreffs bomber.
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