Fresh off a gate-to-wire 92-1 shocker in the Crystal Water Stakes on the Santa Anita turf, Grinning Tiger will try to remain perfect at Los Alamitos in the $100,000 Soi Phet Saturday.
A one-mile event for 3-year-olds & up bred or sired in California, the Soi Phet – which was formerly named the Bertrando (2014-2019) – is the eighth of nine races. Post time is 1 p.m. Approximate post time for the Soi Phet is 4:30 p.m.
The stakes honors a gelded son of Tizbud, who won five stakes at Los Alamitos – including the race now named for him in 2014 and 2018 – for the Benowitz Family Trust, Mathilde Powell and Paul Viskovich and trainer Leonard Powell. Soi Phet, who was claimed for $16,000 in the spring of 2013 at Hollywood Park, retired at age 11 in 2019 with more than $1 million in earnings.
Owned by Tyree Wolesensky and trained by Anthony Saavedra, Grinning Tiger ended a five-race losing streak with his Crystal Water stunner, defeating seven rivals by nearly two lengths at the same distance he will be running Saturday.
A son of Smiling Tiger and the Pioneering mare Karlee's Kitten, Grinning Tiger has won eight of 27 and banked $209,801.
Galilean is also 2-for-2 at Los Alamitos with his victories coming in 2018 when trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer.
The Uncle Mo colt out of the El Prado mare Fresia won at first asking as a 2-year-old Sept. 22, then stretched out to the Soi Phet distance to win the King Glorious by nine lengths during the Winter meet that year.
Owned by a partnership that includes West Point Thoroughbreds, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith and now trained by John Sadler, Galilean is seeking his first win since taking the California Cup Derby Feb. 18, 2019. He's 3-for-8 with a bankroll of $382,948.
Trained by Phil D'Amato for Summit Racing LLC, William Branch, Jeff Owen, Jeremy Peskoff and Jackie Rojas, King Abner will be trying to improve upon a fifth place finish as the 4-5 favorite in this race last year.
The 6-year-old gray gelding by Hansen out of the Salt Lake mare Margarita Salt has won six of 25 and earned $399,309. He owns a win at Los Alamitos, scoring an optional claiming victory during the 2018 Winter meet.
Take the One O One will bid for a second consecutive win for owner Samantha Siegel's Jay Em Ess Stable and trainer Brian Koriner. The 5-year-old Acclamation horse went gate-to-wire at the Soi Phet distance May 22 in Arcadia.
Out of the Jump Start mare North Freeway, Take the One O One is 5-for-13 with earnings of $382,306.
Claimed for $20,000 by trainer Andrew Lerner for Alydom Racing LLC out of a turf win May 25, Three Ay Em, who hass won four of 13 and earned $125,799, will be looking for his second tally at Los Alamitos.
The 4-year-old son of New Year's Day and the Theatrical mare Potenza broke his maiden via disqualification in his fourth career start Sept. 8, 2018 when trained by Jeff Bonde.
Lerner will be trying for a second consecutive win in the Soi Phet. He clicked with the mare Queen Bee to You a year ago.
Brandothebartender will be looking for his first win on a surface other than turf.
Trained by Craig Dollase for Flawless Racing, Brian Flanagan and Michael Jarvis, the 7-year-old Tribal Rule gelding out of the Stravinsky mare Frysland is 0-for-4 on dirt. He's 6-for-34 overall with a bankroll of $460,984.
Lymebyrd will be making his first start in Southern California since 2018 for owners Don and Guy Brown and trainer Angelo Tekos.
The 7-year-old Limehouse gelding out of the Old Trieste mare, who has won six of 33 and earned $212,534, has a Los Alamitos victory on his resume. He broke his maiden by 7 ½ lengths against $20,000 claimers July 15, 2017 when trained by Dean Pederson.
Loud Mouth will stretch out to eight furlongs after finishing fourth of five in the Thors Echo Stakes June 13.
Trained by Steve Knapp for Thomsen Racing LLC, the 4-year-old Boisterous colt out of the Drama Cat mare Tale of the Cat has won four of 16 and banked $133,348.
From inside out, the field for the Soi Phet Stakes: Brandothebartender, Umberto Rispoli rides, 119 pounds; King Abner, Abel Cedillo, 119; Take the One O One, Jose Valdivia, Jr., 119; Three Ay Em, Aaron Gryder, 119; Loud Mouth, Drayden Van Dyke, 119; Grinning Tiger, Heriberto Figueroa, 124; Lymebyrd, Tiago Pereira, 119 and Galilean, Juan Hernandez, 119.
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