Trainer Dan Blacker's Grade 1 stakes winning Hit the Road and the Richard Baltas-conditioned Bodhicitta, a Grade 2 winner, both worked over the Santa Anita turf late Sunday morning in preparation for major stakes engagements at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., on Pegasus World Cup Invitational Day, Jan. 29.
Hit the Road, a 5-year-old horse by More Than Ready, and Bodhicitta, a 6-year-old English-bred mare, came on Santa Anita's main track via the quarter mile chute at 11:42 and back-tracked around to the finish line, where they then came onto the turf and proceeded to the clubhouse turn.
Hit the Road, with Umberto Rispoli up, was a winner of the G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile (turf) at Santa Anita on March 6, 2021, and was most recently a close third in the G2 City of Hope Mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 2. A winner of six races from 12 starts and $563,751, Hit the Road is prepping for the G1, $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at 1 1/8 miles.
With Bodhicitta taking the lead, Hit the Road came onto the turf course about an eighth of a mile behind her and cantered with his pony near the outside fence to the 5 ½-furlong pole, where he shifted down to the rail and in an aggressive move, was in full stride at the five-furlong marker. Clocked by Santa Anita track timer Dane Nelson going three furlongs in 36.14, he finished up five eighths of a mile in 58.42.
Owned by D K Racing, Radley Equine, Inc., Taste of Victory Stables, Tony Maslowski and Dave Odmark, Hit the Road has two graded stakes wins and five overall added money victories on grass included among a lifetime mark of 12-6-0-2.
Bodhicitta, who was ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr. and prepping for the G3, $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational at 1 1/16 miles, remained well in front of Hit the Road and hit the half-mile pole running in an equally aggressive move. Clocked the first quarter mile in 24.17, she finished up her half mile drill in 47.11.
A winner of the G2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar Aug. 8, 2020, Bodhicitta, made her first seven starts in Ireland and all four of her wins from 22 overall starts have come with Baltas in Southern California. Owned by Calvin Nguyen, Bodhicitta has banked $364,808.
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