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Veteran Hembree The Morning-Line Choice In Saturday’s Thunder Road

Fresh off a Grade 2 win sprinting and in the money in 26 out of 40 lifetime starts, Tom Kagele's 7-year-old Hembree heads a field of eight older horses going one mile on turf in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita.

Claimed for $62,500 out of a one turn mile win two starts back on Nov. 19 at Churchill Downs, Hembree rallied for an authoritative three quarter length score going 6 ½ furlongs on turf in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes here on Jan. 1. Trained by Peter Miller, Hembree, a two-time graded winner, is a full horse by Proud Citizen, out of the Langfuhr mare Knockatrina.

With lifetime earnings of $927,371, Hembree, who will be ridden back by Joel Rosario, is 40-8-10-8 overall, dating back to his first-out maiden win at Saratoga at age two in August of 2016.

Miller's “Avis Choice” is Sombeyay, who comes off a front-running 1 ¼ lengths allowance win on Jan. 15 as the 4-5 favorite under Flavien Prat, who appears to have opted for Border Town. Originally trained by Todd Pletcher, Sombeyay will be making his third start for Miller as he seeks his third graded stakes win. Owned by Swifty Farms, Inc., Sombeyay, a 5-year-old horse by Into Mischief, is 15-4-5-0 overall and will be ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Border Town comes off what appeared to be his best career race on Jan. 8, as he rallied from off the pace to take a one mile allowance by half a length under regular rider Prat. Owned by Ramona Bass and Perry Bass III, Border Town, a 5-year-old gelding by War Front, seeks his first graded stakes win in what will be his 12th start.

Trainer Dan Blacker's comebacking Hit the Road, who seeks his third consecutive win, lends further depth to the Thunder Road party. Idle since taking the restricted Oceanside Stakes at one mile on turf July 10 at Del Mar, Hit the Road was also a minor stakes winner going a mile on grass at Santa Anita in his third career start on Oct. 6, 2019. Owned by D K Racing, LLC and Radley Equine, Inc., Hit the Road, a 4-year-old colt by More Than Ready, would relish a fast pace to run at with regular rider Umberto Rispoli up.

THE GRADE 3 THUNDER ROAD, WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 10 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

Sombeyay—Juan Hernandez—122
Hit the Road—Umberto Rispoli—122
Restrainedvengence—Ruben Fuentes—122
Border Town—Flavien Prat—124
Campaign—Tyler Baze—122
Award Winner—Abel Cedillo—120
Bob and Jackie—Heriberto Figueroa—122
Hembree—Joel Rosario—120

Early first post time for a 10-race card on Saturday is at 12 noon. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com.

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Recently Claimed Hembree Takes Joe Hernandez Stakes With Last-To-First Move Under Rosario

Claimed for $62,500 out of a one turn mile win at Churchill Downs Nov. 19, 7-year-old Hembree, in his 40th career start, rallied from last to take Friday's Grade 2, $200,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., covering 6 ½ furlongs on turf in 1:13.80. In his first start for trainer Peter Miller and owner Tom Kagele, Hembree, who had routed on turf in 14 consecutive starts prior to his one turn dirt mile Nov. 19, collected his second career graded stakes win.

Last, about 6 ½ lengths off the lead heading to the three-furlong pole, Rosario hugged the rail and slipped through a narrow opening three sixteenths of a mile out and unleashed a powerful stretch run while repelling a stout late challenge from runner-up True Valour.

“Brilliant, it really was just a fantastic ride by Joel, that's why he's one of the world's best,” said Miller. “He's a very fast horse, he runs fast figures and fast Beyers. The question to me was, whether the six and a half was too short for him, but he answered that question today.”

Off at 5-1 in a field of seven older horses, Hembree paid $12.40, $6.20 and $3.60.

A Grade 2 stakes winner going six furlongs on turf at Woodbine at age 4, Hembree picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $927,371 while improving his overall mark to 40-8-10-8.

“Pete told me to let him be early and try and make one run with him,” said Rosario, who had ridden Hembree on four other occasions in New York, Florida and Kentucky, with his most recent partnership coming seven starts back on March 28 at Gulfstream Park. “He broke well and I thought we were in a good spot, not too far off the lead. He made a nice move around the turn and when that other horse came to him, he tried very hard.”

Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Irish-bred True Valour ran too good to lose as he rallied four-wide through the stretch to finish 3 ¼ lengths in front of Blitzkrieg. Off at 7-1, True Valour paid $7.40 and $5.00.

Blitzkrieg, who had been routing on turf in five out of his last six starts, made the lead briefly a furlong out and checked in third, a half length clear of Texas Wedge. Off at 4-1 with Victor Espinoza, he paid $4.00 to show.

Fractions on the race were 21.56, 44.13 and 1:07.95.

The Joe Hernandez is named in honor of the original Voice of Santa Anita, who called 15,587 consecutive races from the track's opening on Dec. 25, 1934, until he collapsed while calling what would be his final race on Jan. 27, 1972.

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. All of Santa Anita's races can be watched free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager at 1^st.com/Bet.

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‘These Idiots Think That Is Going To Move The Needle’: Peter Miller Against California Stakes Lasix Ban

Trainer Peter Miller expressed his frustration with the 2021 ban of Lasix in all California stakes races in an interview with the Blood-Horse this week, as he is preparing to run both Texas Wedge and Hembree in Friday's Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf at Santa Anita. Neither horse has ever run without Lasix, according to Equibase.

Miller said asking the six and 7-year-olds (respectively) to do so is “inhumane,” because Lasix helps to prevent exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH).

Miller believes the Lasix ban in California stakes races was enacted as a response to anti-horse racing activists in the state, and argued that images of horses visibly bleeding from the nostrils will be now be publicized by those same groups.

“Talk about just shooting yourself in the foot. These idiots think that is going to move the needle. It's going to move it the wrong way,” Miller said. “The people that like horse racing like it. People that don't—Lasix doesn't matter.”

Trainer Mike Maker Enters ‘Only’ Ten On Opening Day At Kentucky Downs

Trainer Mike Maker told his barn crew to enjoy an easy day Monday when the RUNHAPPY Meet at Kentucky Downs kicks off its six-date run featuring exclusively grass racing.

“I said to the guys at the barn, 'You guys can have a light opening day and then after that we'll pick it up a little bit,” Maker, Kentucky Downs' all-time winningest trainer, said cheerfully. “We entered nine the first day, and we have 15 to 20 every other day.”

Entries for opening day were taken Wednesday with 154 horses making the program: 127 in the body for the 11-race card and another 27 needing defections in order to get in off the also-eligible list. Post time for the first race is 12:10 p.m. Central.

Maker actually wound up having 10 entries Monday, with three needing scratches to run. Among those he entered are Parlor and Hembree in the $750,000 Tourist Mile, the last of four stakes on the WinStar Farm Day card. The capacity field of 12 also includes 2019 winner Snapper Sinclair and Grade 1 winner Next Shares.

Maker claimed Parlor for $80,000 last November at the Fair Grounds for owners Michael Hui, Hooties Racing and WSS Racing. Hui also owns Zulu Alpha. After two races, Maker added blinkers to Parlor, and the 6-year-old gelding responded with four strong efforts, including third by a total of a half-length to multiple graded-stakes winner Factor This in Churchill Downs' Grade 2 Wise Dan and a nose defeat in Keeneland's Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile won by 2019 Preakness winner War of Will.

“When we claimed him, he had a little bit of a throat issue that we worked on,” Maker said of Parlor. “That seems to be corrected. I'd like to think that's the basis for his improvement. The blinkers were more or less to get him involved a little early.”

The Tourist Mile will be Parlor's fifth year to run at Kentucky Downs, having finished second by a neck (Kentucky Downs Juvenile), second by three-quarters of a length (Dueling Grounds Derby), third (Old Friends, now known as the Tapit Stakes) and ninth in last year's Tourist Mile.

Three Diamonds Farm's Hembree was claimed 2 1/2 years ago for $50,000 and is one of Maker's many claims to become graded-stakes winners on turf. He was fourth in last year's Tourist Mile after winning a Kentucky Downs allowance race in 2018. Hembree most recently was third behind Tourist contender Spectacular Gem in Ellis Park's $100,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Tourist Mile.

Maker has the intriguing Indy Tourist in the $500,000 More Than Ready Juvenile. The other stakes Monday are the $500,000 The Mint Juvenile Fillies and the $300,000 One Dreamer for fillies and mares who haven't won a stakes in 2020.

“We had high hopes on him,” Maker said of Indy Tourist, adding of a 12-length defeat in Indy Tourist's debut, “We ran him at Churchill Downs first time and he stood in the gate, lost all chance and then came back and won by like 16 at Indiana.” Not to nitpick, but it was 15 3/4 lengths on turf at the More Than Ready Juvenile's mile distance.

The Maker arsenal includes the defending champ in the $1 million, Grade 3 Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup in Zulu Alpha. The 1 1/2-mile Turf Cup heads the five-stakes extravaganza on the Sept. 12 Calumet Farm Day at Kentucky Downs. Zulu Alpha kick-started his 2020 season by taking Gulfstream Park's Grade 1, $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf. His only defeat in four starts this year was a fast-flying second while losing the Grade 2 Kitten's Joy Pan American to stablemate Bemma's Boy by a neck.

“He's breathing fire, ready to roll,” Maker said of Zulu Alpha.

Maker entered Tiger Blood, a $62,500 claim by Parlor's ownership group, in Friday's Grade 2, $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs but said he is likely to scratch to run in Kentucky Downs' $750,000, Grade 3 RUNHAPPY Turf Sprint on Sept. 12, a race whose winner gets a fees-paid spot in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“He's an old classy horse,” he said. “He hasn't won for us yet, but maybe this will be the one.”

Skychai Racing's Jolting Joe, who finished second in his racing debut last year at Kentucky Downs behind Keeneland's Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass winner Art Collector, is being pointed for the Sept. 10 $750,000 Gun Runner Dueling Grounds Derby, Maker said. The New York-bred Joltin Joe reeled off four seconds (including to Tampa Bay Derby winner and Arkansas Derby runner-up King Guillermo) before earning his first victory in a $100,000 New York Stallion Series Stakes at Saratoga in his last start.

Maker's 55 career wins tops Kentucky Downs' all-time standings, with Wesley Ward second at 32. Maker's $7,394,565 in purse earnings dwarfs Ward's $3,448,575, which also ranks second all-time.

However, Maker's run of four straight Kentucky Downs training titles, with a combined 33 victories, ended last year when he won only three races. The title, at four wins, was shared by Joe Sharp, Ian Wilkes and Ward. But Maker also had a track-record 14 seconds which helped him easily win the money title with purse earnings of $1,435,771, almost double Rusty Arnold's next-best $791,094.

“Like I told everybody, second-place finishes at Kentucky Downs are like winning at other tracks.… Titles are nice. You always like to win if you can,” Maker said, adding with a laugh. “But like I said, if I had to pick between the two, I'd prefer to have the money title.”

Maker has more starts — 301 — than any trainer in Kentucky Downs history dating to when he went 0 for 5 in 2003, according to equineline.com statistics. If Maker runs a lot of horses, he's also said in the past, “You should see all the horses that didn't get in,” referencing Kentucky Downs' tendency to get more entries for a race than the maximum 12 that can start. This meet, Maker estimates that he will enter “75 to 80” horses, or about a third of his stable.

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