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Veteran Acclimate Headlines Saturday’s Marathon San Juan Capistrano At Santa Anita

Fresh off a big second at a mile and one quarter on turf, trainer Phil D'Amato's Acclimate heads a field of six going a mile and three quarters on turf in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at Santa Anita. A traditional closing day feature for decades, the iconic San Juan will be run for the 81st time on the penultimate day of Santa Anita's 78-day Winter/Spring Meeting and will feature a traditional hillside turf start.

Also meriting major consideration are fellow California-bred gelding Ward 'n Jerry, a recent winner of a two starter allowance marathons on turf and Red King, a runaway winner of last year's San Juan Capistrano who most recently finished a half length behind the top selection in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes on May 29.

A 7-year-old California-bred gelding by Acclimation, out of the Boundary mare Knows No Bounds, Acclimate opened up by three lengths after the first half mile in the Whittingham and ended up second, beaten a head by the David Hofmans-trained Award Winner, when ridden for the first time by Ricky Gonzalez.

Juan Hernandez, the meet's second leading rider, will take over for the first time on Saturday. Acclimate, who took the 2019 San Juan Capistrano running in gate to wire fashion in combination with the now-departed Martin Garcia will be making his second appearance in the San Juan. Owned by the Ellwood Johnston Family Trust, Timmy Time Racing, LLC and Ken Tevelde, Acclimate was bred in-part by the Johnston family's Old English Rancho. A two-time graded stakes winner he is 24-6-4-4 and has earnings of $497,872.

Head and head for the early lead in last year's San Juan, Ward 'n Jerry ended up third, beaten five lengths by Red King. An 8-year-old gelding by Lucky Pulpit, Ward 'n Jerry appears on edge for trainer Mike Puype, as he rallied for a sharp head victory in a mile and one quarter starter allowance on Feb. 20 and stretched out to a half length score in a mile and one half turf starter allowance March 20.

Owned and bred in California by Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams, Ward 'n Jerry, who is out of the Dehere mare Tamarack Bay, will be ridden for the fourth consecutive time by leading man Flavien Prat and will no doubt take some beating on Saturday. With an overall mark of 27-8-2-4, he has earnings of $468,259.

A 4 ¼ length winner of last year's San Juan and a close third in the 2019 running, Red King, who got the jump on highly accomplished United in taking the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap five starts back on Aug. 22, has plenty of class and the return services of regular rider Umberto Rispoli. A 7-year-old full horse by English Channel, Red King would relish a fast pace as he seeks his second San Juan win in what will be his third appearance.

Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Gordon Jacobsen and Phillip Belmonte, Red King, who is 32-7-4-9 with earnings of $471,755, is trained by meet-leader Phil D'Amato, who holds a 46-42 edge over Peter Miller with three days remaining.

THE GRADE 3 SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 11 of 11 Approximate post time 6:00 p.m. PT

Lure Him In – Edwin Maldonado – 122
Red King – Umberto Rispoli – 124
Ward 'n Jerry – Flavien Prat – 122
Acclimate – Ricardo Gonzalez – 122
Pillar Mountain – Joe Bravo – 122
Astronaut – Victor Espinoza – 122

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Canterbury: 11 Entrants Drawn For $150,000 Mystic Lake Derby On June 23

Canterbury Park's Northern Stars Racing Festival on June 23 has attracted several of the top trainers in the country as well as the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack's best local trainers in pursuit of $610,000 in purses spread across six stakes.

The tenth running of the $150,000 Mystic Lake Derby drew a field of 11 when entries were taken Wednesday. Represented in the one mile turf stake is trainer Brad Cox with 3-year-old T D Dance. Cox is the second leading trainer nationally in purses earned in 2021 with $13.6 million, recently winning the Belmont Stakes with Essential Quality and training Kentucky Derby second-place finisher Mandaloun.

Michael Maker, sixth in the nation in purses with $5.9 million, entered both Grade 3 winner Chess's Dream and Shady McGee. Maker won the Mystic Lake Derby in 2018 and 2019.

Bodenheimer has two turf wins, a maiden race at Canterbury in July of last year and the Indian Summer at Keeneland in October. Trained by Valorie Lund and ridden by Ruben Fuentes, Bodenheimer, who drew post 11, will try a route of ground for the first time in the Derby.

Ian Wilkes attempts to win the Mystic Lake Derby for the second time having trained Giant Payday to a win in 2017 for owner Robert Lothenbach of Wayzata, Minn. Chris Landeros rode then and will have the mount June 23 on Modern Science for Wilkes and Lothenbach.

Two of the sport's top jockeys will also compete. Florent Geroux, fifth in the nation in purses earned with $8.7 million, will ride three entries for Cox. Ricardo Santana, Jr., currently seventh in earnings, will ride four for Maker who has a lengthy history at Canterbury dating back to the 2008 Claiming Crown. Maker has won with 16 of 50 starters at Canterbury and earned $1.08 million in purses.

The $100,000 Curtis Sampson Oaks and the $100,000 Lady Canterbury Stakes each has a field of nine and are run at one mile on the turf. The $100,000 Dark Star Turf Sprint at five furlongs has eight. The $60,000 MTA Stallion Auction Stakes, at 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track, also has eight entrants.

Giant Payday, still owned by Lothenbach but now trained by Joel Berndt, will face the 2020 Mystic Lake Derby winner Summer Assault, trained by Michele Boyce, in the $100,000 Mystic Lake Mile along with defending champion Tut's Revenge who is ridden by Roimes Chirinos and trained by Clint Stuart.

Robertino Diodoro, three times the leading trainer at Canterbury and currently fifth in the nation in total wins with 116, has entries in the Mile and the Sprint. Diodoro is leading the current Canterbury meet with a record of 14 wins from 40 starts.

A night of stakes cannot go by without the involvement of Mac Robertson, 13-time training champion at Canterbury and leader in all-time purse earnings and wins. Robertson has entries in the Lady Canterbury, the Sprint and the Oaks.

The 10-race June 23 program begins at 5:10 p.m. CT. Canterbury offers an industry low 10 percent takeout on its non-jackpot $1 Pick Six and 50 cent Pick Five wagers with each concluding on the final race of the program.

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Thistledown’s Thursday Card Features Pair Of Ohio-Bred Stakes

A pair of $75,000 Ohio Thoroughbred Race Fund (OTRF) stakes will highlight the JACK Thistledown racing card on Thursday, June 17. Set as the co-featured sixth and seventh races are the George Lewis Memorial Stakes and the J. William Petro Memorial Handicap. First race post time is 12:50 pm, ET.

A field of eight Ohio Accredited 3-year-olds and up vie in the 41st running of the one and one-sixteenth mile Lewis Memorial, with a scheduled post time of 3:20 pm, ET. Perennial favorite and multiple stakes winner Mobil Solution, a 6-year-old son of Mobil-Perfect Solution, by Seeking the Gold is the obvious standout with $634,030 in career earnings. Trained by Jeff Skerrett for owner Danielle Agnello, Mobil Solution won this same stake last year and finished second in 2019 and 2018.

Other top prospects in this field include the multiple stakes-placed Authentic Cowtown, a 4-year-old son of Cowtown Cat and winner of $161,065 lifetime; the stakes-winning Pat's Karma, a 5-year-old son of Cowtown Cat who has $208,944 in career earnings; and Sammy Da Bull, who captured the 2019 edition of the Lewis. This 5-year-old son of Vertiformer has $171,007 in his coffers.

The 18th running of the Petro Memorial features ten Ohio registered fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, traveling one and one-sixteenth miles over the Cleveland dirt, with a scheduled post time of 3:50 pm, ET. This event is far more wide open than the Lewis, with any number of qualified contestants able to claim first prize.

Drillit, who captured this same stake in 2020, appears to be the obvious choice. The 5-year-old chestnut daughter by Drill-Way to Fly, by Bowman's Band has multiple stakes to her credit and $432,770 in career earnings for Mast Thoroughbreds and trainer Robert Gorham.

Another in here with a solid shot is the hard-knocking Grizabella, a bay, 7-year-old multiple stakes-placed daughter of Lunarpal with just over $450,000 in earnings for owner Michael Annechino and trainer Jeff Radosevich. As well, Moonlight Mission is another force to be reconned with. This 4-year-old Shackleford mare has career earnings of $292,950 and comes into this race fresh off a Thistledown Allowance race triumph on May 27 for owner Charlie Williams and trainer Silvano Gonzalez.

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Breeders’ Cup to Hold 2021 World Championships at 100 Percent Seated Capacity

Breeders’ Cup announced Wednesday plans to utilize 100 percent of seated capacity at Del Mar for the 2021 Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Nov. 5-6. Tickets will go on sale to the public at noon ET/9 a.m. PT on Friday, July 16. Available seating options and pricing can be viewed now at BreedersCup.com/tickets.