San Vicente Among A Trio Of Grade 2 Races Out West
San Vicente Among A Trio Of Grade 2 Races Out West
Three-year-old runners will travel seven furlongs in the Sunday feature at Santa Anita, the $150,000 San Vicente S. (G2). A solid field of sophomore prospects will vie in this one, including the exciting Shakin It Up from the barn of Bob Baffert. This son of Midnight Lute was a dynamic maiden winner two back and gave a nice account of himself last time, when a closing third in the Hollywood Prevue S. (G3) at Hollywood. The dark bay has a nice turn of foot and will be tough to hold off if ready off of some nice drills.
Hear the Ghost was a nice second in his debut with winners behind a nice one in the San Pedro S., and could be a nice one for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. Impressive maiden winner Demonic, Baffert’s Belvin, the speedy Caballo del Cielo and stakes winner Amarish, will add to the depth of this field.
Saturday will play host to the $200,000 Santa Maria S. (G2), and a solid field is likely for this 1 1/16-mile affair. La Brea S. (G1) queen Book Review, Paseana S. romper Snow Fall, La Canada S. (G2) star More Chocolate and Lady of Fifty, winner of the Bayakoa H. (G2) two races back, are the top names likely for this well-matched race.
Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G2) heroine Mizdirection will stretch out to a mile in Monday’s $150,000 Buena Vista H. (G2). Trained by Mike Puype, the daughter of Mizzen Mast has won six of her last seven starts in advance of this and is a stakes winner at a mile, so we don’t think this distance will be a problem for the sublime mare. The gray smoked a bullet on this lawn as of late and will be forwardly placed in this spot under Mike Smith.
Improving stakes vixen Trois Aureole, the Richard Mandella-conditioned In the Stars, the hard-trying Byrony and recent Mgeahetz S. winner A Jealous Woman, look like the main dangers to the likely favorite.
SOPHOMORES GET STARTED AT OAKLAWN IN SOUTHWEST STAKES
The $300,000 Southwest S. (G3) kicks off the lucrative series for sophomores at Oaklawn Park this season, which is followed by the Rebel S. (G2) and the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1). In this race on Monday, Smarty Jones S. winner Will Take Charge could be among the favorites, and the well-bred sort is an exciting prospect for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who will also saddle recent winner Channel Isle.
Smarty Jones third Always in a Tiz, the talented stakes-winning Texas Bling and Brown Almighty, unplaced in the Smarty Jones, also seem set to partake in this one.