Phil D'Amato had a busy Sunday morning as he prepared several of his elite Thoroughbreds for their lucrative engagements in Santa Anita's inaugural 1/ST Saturday presentation of stakes races on March 5.
D'Amato, one behind Bob Baffert for Santa Anita's training lead, has Count Again ticketed for Saturday's Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on turf, in which he finished an onrushing third by a half-length last year despite a wide trip.
“He came flying late last year and he's ready to go, second (race) off the bench,” D'Amato said of the 7-year-old Awesome Again gelding, who won the Grade 3 Thunder Road Feb. 5 in his first race since the Del Mar Mile last Aug. 21.
Count Again worked five furlongs Sunday morning on the training track in a bullet 59.20.
“Hopefully, he's locked and loaded,” said D'Amato, who also has Miss Bigley pointed to Saturday's Grade 1 Beholder Mile.
A 6-year-old Gemologist mare who won the Grade 3 Bayakoa at Oaklawn Park Feb. 12, Miss Bigley worked on Sunday.
“She had a good breeze, 59 and change (officially a minute flat for five furlongs) and she's ready to go,” D'Amato said. “Ramon Vasquez, who won the Bayakoa on her, will fly in to ride her in the Beholder.”
Miss Bigley has an 8-4-8 record from 26 starts with earnings of $641,242.
And last but not least, Leggs Galore returns in Saturday's Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes for fillies and mares four and up at a mile on turf.
“She worked five furlongs on the training track in 59.80 this morning at 8:30,” said D'Amato, who also will enter streaking Tony Ann in the Buena Vista.
A gray daughter of Cairo Prince, Tony Ann will be making her stakes debut after three straight overnight victories under Umberto Rispoli.
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