Month: December 2023

A three-time Group 1 stakes winner and favored in 10 out of his 12 starts in his native Argentina, John Sadler's Subsanador figures prominently as he makes his U.S. debut with Flavien Prat at the controls versus five rivals going 1 1/16 miles in Tuesday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita.

With Flavien Prat engaged, Subsanador, a 4-year-old chestnut colt, has been idle since winning a Group 2 stakes in Argentina on July 29, but he enters the San Antonio on the strength of a strong work tab that includes four consecutive bullet moves, the most recent a six-furlong clocking of 1:13.20 on Dec. 18.

Owned by Carlos Alejandro Vazquez, Subsanador's Argentine resume reads 12-7-1-1 with earning of $149,124.

A winner of this year's Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap and with career earnings in excess of $1.8 million, owner Steve Moger's Stilleto Boy has lofty credentials but comes off a pair of terrible starts, as he finished a distant last in the G1 Awesome Again at Santa Anita Sept. 30 and was eased two starts back in the G1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

Trained by Ed Moger, Jr., Stilleto Boy has long been based at Golden Gate Fields but will be relocating soon to Santa Anita with the rest of Moger's stable.  A 5-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Shackleford, Stilleto Boy, a three-time stakes winner, is 25-4-4-9 and is 8-2-2-2 at Santa Anita.

With leading man Juan Hernandez back aboard for the first time since September of 2022, look for Stilleto Boy to run a much improved race in the San Antonio, a race in which he finished second a year ago.

A runaway 8 ¼-length G2 winner going the seldom-run distance of a mile and five eighths at Santa Anita on Nov. 4, Richard Mandella was nonetheless in search of a new rider for his Irish-bred Salesman, as Flavien Prat has opted to ride newcomer Subsanador.

With Mike Smith engaged, Salesman, who earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure on Nov. 4, seems to have found a new home on dirt as a 6-year-old gelding. Raced nearly exclusively on turf in France, Salesman was well beaten in his first two stateside assignments on grass with Mandella, finishing ninth in the G1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita May 29 and 12th in the restricted Wickerr Stakes July 23 at Del Mar.

Switched to dirt at a mile and one sixteenth in the restricted Los Alamitos Special Sept. 17 he ran a much improved third, followed by his rollicking win on Nov. 4.  Owned by Wertheimer and Frere, Salesman is 26-4-6-5 overall with earnings of $335,300.

GRADE II SAN ANTONIO WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

1. Stilleto Boy—Juan Hernandez—123
2. Salesman—Mike Smith—125
3. Brickyard Ride—Umberto Rispoli—121
4. Newgrange—Irad Ortiz, Jr.—123
5. Subsanador—Flavien Prat—125
6. Mixto—Antonio Fresu—119

The post Argentine Star Subsanador Makes U.S. Debut in San Antonio appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

French-bred Easter, fresh off one of the most impressive turf performances of the year in Southern California, looms a standout versus five rivals at a mile and one eighth on turf in Tuesday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes, one of six graded events on an 11-race opening day card at Santa Anita.

Turning for home in the G2 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles over the Del Mar turf Nov. 25, it appeared that D'Amato's top turf runner Hong Kong Harry had the race in-hand, but stablemate Easter pinned his ears under Antonio Fresu and powered to a half length victory while earning a lofty 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

With Fresu set to ride him back, Easter, a 5-year-old gelding who had won three of his nine stateside starts with Maryland-based Graham Motion prior to the Seabiscuit, will be seeking his third consecutive stakes victory on Tuesday.

Owned by Madaket Stables, LLC, Easter was a half length winner of the restricted Lure Stakes at one mile on turf two starts back at Santa Anita on Oct. 28.  With two wins from eight starts in France at ages two and three, Easter is 18-6-3-3 overall with earnings of $447,910.

Racing on the lead, D'Amato's Tio Magico went on to a gutty neck win in a second condition allowance going 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita Nov. 2 and could very well be a part of the exacta with Flavien Prat taking over from Fresu, who sticks with Easter.

Originally headquartered with trainer Gail Cox at Woodbine racecourse in Toronto, Canada, Tio Magico, a 5-year-old Ontario-bred gelding by Uncle Mo, will be making his 10th start for D'Amato on Tuesday and his first in a stakes since joining the stable in the summer of 2022.

Bred by Sam-Son Farm and owned by Sam-Son Farm and Agave Racing Stable, Tio Magico, who earned a career-high 94 Beyer in his most recent start, has won two of his last three starts and is 18-4-2-3 overall with earnings of $287,919.

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

1. Eastern Ocean—Lanfranco Dettori—121
2. Easter—Antonio Fresu—125
3.  War At Sea—Mike Smith—123
4. Missed the Cut—Irad Ortiz, Jr.—123
5. Tio Magico—Flavien Prat—121
6. Astronaut—Juan Hernandez—121

The post Easter Bids For Third Consecutive Stakes Score In San Gabriel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post