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Restrainedvengence Gets First Graded Stakes Victory In American Stakes

Owner/trainer Val Brinkerhoff's consistent 6-year-old gelding Restrainedvengence kept to his task and overhauled favored Neptune's Storm late to notch his first-ever graded stakes victory, as he took Sunday's $100,000 Grade 3 American Stakes by a half-length at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Tyler Baze, Restrainedvengence got one mile on turf in 1:33.87.

With longshot Sash gunning from his outside post, Neptune's Storm tracked him while second by 1 ½ lengths as Restrainedvengence sat third by a similar margin around the Club House turn. Heading to the quarter pole, it appeared Neptune's Storm, ridden by Flavien Prat, had matters in hand as he reeled in Sash and took charge turning for home.

But Restrainedvengence had plenty left to say, as he wheeled three-deep at the top of the lane while about two lengths off the lead and gradually gained the ascendency inside the sixteenth pole to win going away.

“First of all, I'm most thankful to have Tyler stick with the horse because I haven't been able to get anyone to stick with my horse,” said Brinkerhoff, who purchased the horse for $65,000 as a Keeneland September Yearling. “He likes him and he's come to know him, to win a graded stakes at Santa Anita for me, is just the best thing that ever happened for a long time.

“When I first got him and broke him, I mean he's been a handful, but you love him because he's so good. He's just hard to deal with, when he wants to do something, I just give up and let him do it, and then we go back and start over. I think his attitude has made him be a champion because he wants to do what he wants to do and he loves to run.”

A Kentucky-bred by the Giant's Causeway stallion Hold Me Back, Restrainedvengence, who was most recently third in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile here on May 31, was off at 3-1 in a field of six 3-year-olds and up and paid $8.80, $3.60 and $2.60.

“He always tries,” said Baze. “We kind of figured out a couple of things with him a couple of races ago and he was real primed to run a huge race today. I won on him before in New Mexico and I had the chance to get back on him this year. He's done nothing but try hard and just been a great horse for Val.”

Owned by Val Brinkerhoff's wife Kelly and Bob Grayson, Jr., Restrainedvengence, who is out of the Red Ransom mare Cupids Revenge, now has a total of seven stakes wins and an overall mark of 31-9-4-3. With the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $768,182.

Idle since Sept. 7 and in his first start for Peter Miller, Neptune's Storm appeared to have a perfect trip but couldn't go with the winner late. Off at 4-5, he paid $2.60 and $2.20 while finishing a half-length in front of an on-rushing Tiz Plus.

Ridden by Trevor McCarthy and a first-time gelding today, Tiz Plus was off at 17-1 and rallied well for third money as he returned $3.20 to show.

Fractions for the American Stakes were :22.91, :45.88, 1:09.34, and 1:21.64.

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Restrainedvengence Seeks Another Stakes Win At Santa Anita

Restrainedvengence has been with the Brinkerhoffs so long he's part of the family.

Although not worthy of Hall of Fame consideration, the old warhorse has more than earned his keep, with a bankroll of $708,182 in this his fifth year of racing, never running where he could be claimed and holding his own in graded stakes company.

He has eight wins, four seconds, and three thirds in 30 starts but no graded victories. He has won on turf, dirt, and synthetic, sprinting at 6½ furlongs and routing at a mile and an eighth, but his niche is going a mile on turf.

Perhaps his best performance was a second by a head in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. on Oct. 5, 2019, although his third in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile last out at Santa Anita on May 31 wasn't too shabby.

Tomorrow, closing day at Santa Anita, the venerable cash cow for trainer Val Brinkerhoff, and his wife and valued assistant, Kelly, who owns the six-year-old gelding along with Bobby Grayson Jr., seems ideally spotted to win the Grade 3 American Stakes for three-year-olds and up at a mile on turf.

“He came out of the Shoemaker really well, ate everything up, breezed four furlongs in :48 flat last Friday, and galloped out nice,” said Brinkerhoff, himself a former jockey who turns 65 on Oct. 19. “He's ready to fire one of his better races, hopefully.

“I thought he ran well in the Shoemaker, but it was a tough spot. He had an accident at the barn that caused me to scratch him a race before the Shoemaker, and that set him back, but I think we've got him as good as we can get him right now.

“This is his best shot to win a graded race, but he's been right there in other graded stakes. Whatever you ask him to do, he tries to do it for you.”

Brinkerhoff, an angular version of John Wayne, cowboy hat and all, but without the swagger, is a hands-on horseman from dawn 'til dusk. He is the patriarch of a cohesive Mormon family that grew even closer 16 years ago after his two younger brothers, Brad, 45, and Todd, 42, died from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, a progressive neurological disease that controls voluntary muscle movement, informally known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

At 5′ 10″ and 118 pounds when he rode at bush tracks in Montana and his home state of Utah at outposts with far-flung names like Beaver, Richfield, Marysvale, Kanab, Parowan, Ferron, Payson, and Panguitch, Val started riding when he was 14 in Fillmore, Utah, population circa 2,500.

Restrainedvengence, a Kentucky-bred son of the Giant's Causeway stallion Hold Me Back out of Cupids Revenge, thus his name, has been with Brinkerhoff since he was a yearling.

“I bought him at the Keeneland September sale, had him from day one, broke him and everything,” Brinkerhoff said.

“He was a nice-looking colt when I saw him at the sale, although not fashionably bred, but they kept bidding on him and I think we gave $65,000 for him. The bloodstock agent came running over all excited and said, 'Congratulations! You just bought the most expensive Hold Me Back ever sold!'

“It was pretty funny, but it turned out to be true. I've never had much trouble with the horse, although he's a little bit below the best horses in the country.

“But he's paid his way and I'm sure thankful to have him.”

The American Stakes is race seven: Tiz Plus, Trevor McCarthy, 15-1; Restrainedvengence, Tyler Baze, 5-2; Neptune's Storm, Flavien Prat, 4-5; Border Town, Mike Smith, 5-1; Majestic Eagle, Mario Gutierrez, 5-1; and Sash, Juan Hernandez, 12-1.

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Neptune’s Storm Returns From Layoff In Sunday’s American Stakes

With runaway leading rider Flavien Prat engaged, the Richard Baltas-trained Neptune's Storm, idle since Sept. 7, will garner plenty of attention as he heads the Grade 3, $100,000 American Stakes at one mile on turf this Sunday at Santa Anita. For 3-year-olds and up, the American has attracted a wide open field of six.

Hall of Fame conditioner Neil Drysdale, who is winless in 36 starts at the current meet, has a big shot to get off the schneid with Majestic Eagle, who won the 2019 American and will be ridden on Sunday by Mario Gutierrez.

With two wins from his first seven starts when trained by William Morey, Neptune's Storm blossomed in the care of Baltas, winning his first start for him, the ungraded Singletary Stakes at one mile on turf, on April 28, 2019. A winner of the Grade 2 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park eight starts back on Oct. 5, 2019, Neptune's Storm notched his second graded stakes win three races back by taking the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on June 14, 2020.

Subsequently third, beaten one length by classy United in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes July 26, Neptune's Storm went to the sidelines following a fourth place finish in an ungraded one mile turf stakes Sept. 7, 2020 at Kentucky Downs.

A 5-year-old gelding by Stormy Atlantic, Neptune's Storm has a pressing style that has enabled him to avoid trouble and has resulted in a total of 10 finishes in which he has run first, second or third dating back to his win in the 2019 Singletary.

Owned by John Rochfort, Saul Gevertz, Lynn Gitomer, Mike Goetz, Michael Nentwig and Daniel Weiner, Neptune's Storm is 19-6-3-6 and is the leading money earner in the field with $848,085.

Second, beaten 1 ¼ lengths in his first start of the year, the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs on turf May 29, Majestic Eagle, who had been idle since Nov. 28, should improve with the race under his belt and a return to a route of ground. A game neck winner of the 2019 American, Majestic Eagle, a 6-year-old gelding by Medaglia d'Oro, is 11-1-4-1 at one mile on turf.

Owned by Rave Green Racing, Majestic Eagle brings an overall mark of 28-3-7-3 and earnings of $340,541.

THE GRADE 3 AMERICAN STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 11 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Tiz Plus—Trevor McCarthy—122
Restrainedvengence—Tyler Baze—124
Neptune's Storm—Flavien Prat—122
Border Town—Mike Smith—122
Majestic Eagle—Mario Gutierrez—122
Sash—Juan Hernandez—122

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Blitzkrieg, Espinoza Steal The Show In Santa Anita’s American Stakes

With a solid work under his belt and a post position advantage, trainer Doug O'Neill's Blitzkrieg was hustled to the lead and made every pole a winning one as he took Sunday's Grade III, $100,000 American Stakes by one length at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden for the first time by Victor Espinoza, the 5-year-old gelding by War Front got a flat mile on turf in 1:33.46.

In his second Santa Anita start since running in four races in Dubai over the winter, Blitzkrieg broke from post four and enjoyed a half length advantage on speedy Bolo, who broke from the far outside, into the Club House turn.

Although he set brisk fractions, Blitzkrieg was never headed as he opened up 1 ½ lengths on Bolo into the far turn and he was large and in charge, leading by two lengths turning for home and was never challenged while holding classy Bowies Hero at bay late.

“His last work was phenomenal,” said Leandro Mora, assistant to O'Neill, who was returning from New York. “He went six furlongs, on his own, in 58 and four (fifths) and galloped out in 1:12. He worked so good, we were tempted to put him back on the dirt, but we stuck to the plan and I'm glad we did. I told Victor that with Bolo drawn way outside, let's go and I think maybe we can steal it. He's back no question. This is the horse we thought we had all along.”

Well beaten at 57-1 in the Grade I Shoemaker Mile (turf) at Santa Anita on May 25, Blitzkrieg was off at 7-1 in a field of nine 3-year-olds and up and paid $16.80, $7.80 and $4.60.

Owned by R3 Racing, LLC and Calara Farms, Blitzkrieg, who was claimed for $25,000 11 starts back in January, 2019, got his second graded stakes win and now has six wins from 21 career starts. With the winner's share of $60,000, he has earnings of $388,097.

“The pace was pretty quick, but he was doing it so easy,” said Espinoza. “For me, every time I ride a horse like him with speed, I like to just sit up there and have fun.”

A two-time Grade I winner who had been away since running fifth in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Mile Nov. 2, Bowies Hero was in high gear late under Umberto Rispoli, finishing 2 ¼ lengths in front of Sharp Samurai. Off at 6-1, Bowies Hero paid $6.40 and $3.80.

A multiple graded stakes winner who had been idle since Aug. 18, Sharp Samurai, who was attentive to the pace throughout under Abel Cedillo, dead heated for third with his stablemate Souter and paid $2.40 to show.

Souter, ridden by Evin Roman, was off at 72-1 and paid $8.00 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.02, 46.42, 1:10.03 and 1:21.66.

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