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

1. Sombeyay—Juan Hernandez—122
2. Hit the Road—Umberto Rispoli—122
3. Restrainedvengence—Ruben Fuentes—122
4. Border Town—Flavien Prat—124
5. Campaign—Tyler Baze—122
6. Award Winner—Abel Cedillo—120
7. Bob and Jackie—Heriberto Figueroa—122
8. 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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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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Blended Citizen’s resume includes wins in the 2018 GIII Peter Pan S. and GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks and also a win in this year’s GIII Louisiana S. via disqualification. He retires with a record of 22-5-1-2 and earnings of $558,230.

“Blended Citizen was an incredibly talented and versatile individual,” Hubbard said. “He showed tremendous ability to win on three different surfaces and to win graded stakes races on both dirt and synthetic against some of the top horses of his generation. We are excited about his future and to his first-crop of foals in 2022.”

Bred by Ray Hanson, Blended Citizen is out of the multiple stakes-winning Langfuhr mare Langara Lass. The $85,000 OBS March graduate is a half-brother to the stakes-winning millionaire Lookin At Lee (Lookin At Lucky), runner-up in the 2017 GI Kentucky Derby.

“We could not be more pleased to acquire an exceptional horse like Blended Citizen,” said Matt Wilkett
of DMW Racing Stables. “We think a horse with his depth of pedigree, paired with his ability to win as a 2-year-old and at the graded stakes level at three, makes him an attractive horse for breeders in Oklahoma at the southwest region.”

Blended Citizen will stand for an introductory rate of $2,000 at Collett Equine Veterinary Service.

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Bred by Ray Hanson, Blended Citizen is out of the multiple stakes-winning Langfuhr mare Langara Lass. The $85,000 OBS March graduate is a half-brother to the stakes-winning millionaire Lookin At Lee (Lookin At Lucky), runner-up in the 2017 GI Kentucky Derby.

Blended Citizen’s resume includes wins in the 2018 GIII Peter Pan S. and GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks and also a win in this year’s GIII Louisiana S. via disqualification. He retires with a record of 22-5-1-2 and earnings of $558,230.

A stud deal is pending for Blended Citizen. He’s catalogued as a stallion prospect in the upcoming Keeneland November auction with South Point Sales.

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Indian Pride's third victory in four career starts gave Brown his third consecutive win on the card, which started when he conditioned Viadera and Noor Sahara to a 1-2 finish in the $85,000 De La Rose.

Following Lady Lawyer's allowance win in Race 8, Saratoga's reigning two-time leading trainer completed the natural hat trick in the Shine Again. Indian Pride broke alertly under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, leading the nine-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 23.13 seconds and the half in 46.06 on the main track rated fast.

Entering the turn, Joy Epifora briefly took command in front of Indian Pride, though Castellano encouraged his charge and quickly regained the advantage staying near the rail. But Blamed, the multiple graded stakes-winner trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, surged from her outside in the final furlong. The duo linked up and ran eye-to-eye in the final sixteenth before Indian Pride pulled away to complete the seven-furlong sprint in a 1:21.63 final time, capturing her first career stake.

“It was a really good ride the way he stayed off the fence a bit and avoided getting hooked by the other speed and just let her do her thing out in the center of the track,” Brown said. “That was our plan in the paddock and Javier executed it. And what about the filly – the heart she showed? Most horses would give up and I think we really should give all credit to her.”

Off as the 2-1 favorite, Indian Pride returned $6 on a $2 win bet. The 4-year-old Proud Citizen filly improved her career bankroll to $157,550, returning to the site where she broke her maiden by eight lengths last August. Her only non-win came with a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Raven Run to cap her sophomore campaign in October at Keeneland.

“She showed what she's made of today. I was really proud of her effort,” Brown said. “She's always been a horse that had immense talent. When she broke her maiden here last summer it was breathtaking really, arguably the most impressive win we had last year. She's had some bumps and bruises along the way in terms of the interrupted schedule, but now she has two straight races under her belt and I hope to have her for the whole season.”

Castellano improved to 3-for-3 riding Indian Pride.

“She's an unbelievable filly. I have to give all the credit to Mr. Brown. He put a lot of time and patience into her and it has really paid off,” Castellano said. “You can see the development with the horse. Last time it was six and a half furlongs at Belmont, now she's stretching out to seven furlongs.

“I really like the way she fought for me today,” he continued. “She dictated the pace and then there was pressure to the inside and when Blamed went after her in the stretch and buried her a little bit into the rail, she never gave up. She kept fighting all the way to the end to win the race. She showed me a lot of class and a lot of heart, too.”

Cleber J. Massey's Blamed, the winner of the 2018 Grade 3 Comely at Aqueduct Racetrack and the 2019 Grade 3 Royal Delta at Gulfstream Park, was making her first start since running fourth in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on June 13 at Belmont Park. She bested Risky Mandate by three lengths for second.

“My filly ran a big race. I had a good trip and no excuses,” said Blamed jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. “You're going to hear a lot from her this year.”

Joy Epifora, Honor Way, Positive Spirit, Bella Ciao, Please Flatter Me and Slimey completed the order of finish. Estilo Femenino was scratched.

Live racing resumes Saturday with an 11-race card highlighted by the Grade 1, $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for sophomore fillies in Race 10 at 6:16 p.m. Eastern. The 1 1/8-mile test will offer 100-40-20-10 points to the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks in September at Churchill Downs. Saturday will also showcase the Grade 2, $150,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame for 3-year-olds over the inner turf in Race 3 at 2:18 p.m. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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