Two-year-old turf runners take the stage Friday at Santa Anita in a pair of $100,000 events going a one mile each: the Eddie Logan and Blue Norther for fillies.
Peter Eurton's talented 2-year-old ridgling Stay Hot will face eight rivals in the Eddie Logan, and Phil D'Amato's Irish-bred Zona Verde looks tough as she heads a field of nine in the Blue Norther.
Fresh off an impressive come-from-behind win at one mile on grass in the Cecil B. DeMille (G3) at Del Mar Dec. 3, Stay Hot broke his maiden two starts back at the same trip at Santa Anita on Oct. 7 and looks like the horse to beat in what will be his third stakes engagement and sixth overall start.
Breaking from the far outside in a field of nine in the Cecil B. DeMiIlle, Stay Hot settled nicely off the pace but was forced to concede a lot of ground around the final turn. Full of run while next to last three furlongs out, Antonio Fresu turned him loose midway around the turn and although he was caught nine-wide turning for home, he was up to prevail by a neck in a very impressive effort.
Owned by Burns Racing LLC and Exline-Border Racing, Stay Hot, a Kentucky-bred by Summer Front, will be ridden back by Fresu, who has been aboard for all five of his starts—winning two of them.
Lightly raced, Gary and Mary West's homebred American Hope pressed the pace en route to a solid neck victory in a one-mile maiden race Nov. 12 at Del Mar and rates a big chance with Flavien Prat riding him back on Friday.
Trained by Phil D'Amato, American Hope, who was third in his six-furlong maiden debut Oct. 8, was off at 8-5 for his Nov. 12 win and acts like a colt with a bright future. By 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, American Hope earned a solid 72 Beyer Speed Figure in his maiden win.
Including Stay Hot, five of the Logan starters exit the Cecil B. DeMille, including D'Amato's Miracle Mark, who was close to the pace the entire trip and in a three-horse photo, ended up third, beaten a neck and a head for first money.
Owned by Slam Dunk Racing and Old Bones Racing Stable LLC, Miracle Mark was bred in Kentucky by Slam Dunk's Nick Cosato. By Constitution, he broke his maiden at one mile on grass two starts back on Oct. 29 in gate-to-wire fashion at Santa Anita and should be forwardly placed again under regular rider Diego Herrera.
The Eddie Logan is named in honor of Santa Anita's original shoeshine attendant, who operated his shoeshine stand at The Great Race Place from its opening in 1934 until shortly before his death at the age of 98 on Jan. 31, 2009. Logan, who often referred to himself as a 'Footman', was one of the most popular employees to ever work at Santa Anita.
The field for the Eddie Logan, in post-position order with jockeys, weights:
1. Charge for Gold – Ricado Gonzalez – 118
2. Lord Bullingdon – Umberto Rispoli – 122
3. Practically Broke – Juan Hernandez – 118
4. Invincible– Luis Contreras – 118
5. Twirling Point – Kazushi Kimura – 120
6. Final Boss – Lanfranco Dettori – 118
7. Miracle Mark – Diego Herrera – 120
8. American Hope – Flavien Prat – 120
9. Stay Hot—Antonio Fresu—120
A virtual gate-to-wire graded stakes winner in her most recent start, the Jimmy Durante Dec. 2, D'Amato-trained Zona Verde was a one-mile turf maiden winner in her U.S. debut three starts back on Sept. 8, then was subsequently a troubled sixth at the same trip in the Surfer Girl (G3) on Oct. 8.
Dismissed at 10-1 from her number 10 post position in the Jimmy Durante, she was in-hand out of the gate, but jockey Juan Hernandez seized the moment passing the three-quarter pole and cut to the fence, from where Zona Verde dictated the pace thereafter en route to a rousing one-length win.
A gray Calyx filly owned by the Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Michael Nentwig, et al., Zona Verde, was winless in four tries earlier this year in Ireland, but is now two for three with D'Amato—with all three stateside starts coming at the Blue Norther distance.
One of four fillies exiting the Jimmy Durante, John Sadler's French-bred Antifona would appear to have considerable upside. Devoid of early speed 42-1 in what was her U.S. debut, Antifona saved ground at the rail while last to the far turn where she idled under Tiago Pereira, who waited in the hopes of not losing too much ground.
Four-wide turning for home, Antifona put in a solid late bid, finishing fourth in a field of 10, beaten 1¾ lengths. With a local start to her credit, Antifona, who is owned by Hronis Racing LLC and will be ridden by Hector Berrios, will hope for clear sailing from off the pace.
The speed of the race would appear to be Peter Miller's April Vintage, a five-furlong maiden turf winner three races back who will be stretching out for the first time in what will be her fifth career start. A Florida-bred daughter of Vino Rosso, April Vintage, owned by Peter Redekop B.C. Ltd., gets the services of speed king Edwin Maldonado, who was aboard for the maiden victory as well.
The field for the Blue Norther in post-position order with jockeys, weights:
1. Hattie T—Armando Ayuso—120
2. Antifona – Hector Berrios – 118
3. Chatalas – Lanfranco Dettori – 122
3. Blue Oasis – Kazushi Kimura – 120
4. Highlands – Flavien Prat – 118
5. Zona Verde – Juan Hernandez – 122
6. Medoro – Antonio Fresu – 118
7. Mo Fox Givin – Umberto Rispoli – 120
8. April Vintage – Edwin Maldonado – 118
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