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Wildman Jack Has 10 New Year’s Day Foes In Joe Hernandez Stakes At Santa Anita

W.C. Racing's homebred Wildman Jack, a graded stakes winning 5-year-old gelding by 2013 Santa Anita Derby winner Goldencents, heads a wide-open field of 11 older horses in Friday's New Year's Day feature, the Grade II, $200,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs over the Santa Anita turf in Arcadia, Calif.

Most recently seventh, beaten three lengths after taking the lead turning for home in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7, Wildman Jack, who is trained by Doug O'Neill, was a big second, beaten one length two starts back in the 5 ½ furlong turf Eddie D Stakes here on Sept. 25.

A nose winner of the G3 Daytona Stakes five starts back on May 23, 2020, Wildman Jack has a win and two seconds from three tries over the Santa Anita turf and like the rest of the field, he'll be running out of Santa Anita's newly christened turf chute for the first time on Friday.

Out of the Orientate mare Orientatious, Wildman Jack is 12-4-3-1 overall with earnings of $439,005.

Other prominent contenders include trainer Graham Motion's venerable Irish-bred True Valour, who is based at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland and will be will be making his 30th career start at age seven. No stranger to Santa Anita, True Valour, who was based in Southern California with Simon Callaghan for parts of three racing seasons beginning in 2018, he's a two time graded stakes winner going one mile over the local lawn from nine tries.

Although primarily a router throughout his career, True Valour transitioned to sprinting two starts back, taking a 6 ½-furlong classified allowance over Woodbine's synthetic Tapeta on Nov. 14 and he comes off a solid third in an ungraded six furlong turf stakes at Aqueduct Nov. 28.

Owned by R.L. Johnson, True Valour is 29-6-2-8 overall with earnings of $462,237.

In addition to Wildman Jack, Doug O'Neill will also be represented by Blitzkrieg, a winner of the G3 American Stakes here five starts back who will be shortening up out of three consecutive turf routes. Owned by R3 Racing, LLC and Calara Farms, Blitzkrieg has four wins from 11 tries over the Santa Anita turf and he has earnings of $411,457 from an overall mark of 25-6-1-1.

Hronis Racing's classy Encoder, idle since February 1 for John Sadler, rates a huge chance with Tyler Baze engaged to ride. A first-out five-furlong turf maiden winner at Del Mar in August 2019, he followed that up with a game head victory in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 1, 2019.

A well beaten fifth on dirt in the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes Feb. 1, he pressed the early pace en route to a half-length score in the one-mile turf Eddie Logan Stakes two starts back on Dec. 29, 2019. Back on his preferred surface on Friday, Encoder should plenty tough while attentive to the pace.

The Joe Hernandez is named in honor of the original voice of Santa Anita, who called more than 15,000 consecutive races from Dec. 25, 1934 until he collapsed while calling his final race on January 27, 1972.

JOE HERNANDEZ STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS

IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

Texas Wedge—Flavien Prat—120
P R Radio Star—Juan Hernandez—120
Encoder—Tyler Baze—120
Hembree—Joel Rosario—120
True Valour—Drayden Van Dyke—120
Blitzkrieg—Victor Espinoza—122
Wildman Jack—Abel Cedillo—122
Chaos Theory—Umberto Rispoli—122
Oiseau de Guerre—Ruben Fuentes—120
Mesut—Mike Smith—120
Ohio—Ricky Gonzalez—120

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Yakteen Stable’s Cal-Bred ‘Queen,’ Mucho Unusual, Takes Robert J. Frankel Stakes

Well beaten in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Nov. 7, George Krikorian's homebred Mucho Unusual seemed to relish a return home to Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as she rallied under Eastern-based John Velazquez to take Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes by three-quarters of a length. Trained by Tim Yakteen, the California-bred daughter of Mucho Macho Man got a mile and one eighth on turf in 1:46.94.

Comfortably in-hand while second, about two lengths off of pacesetting She's Our Charm around the first turn, Mucho Unusual inched up outside a three-horse spread that included favored Miss Teheran and She's Our Charm heading to the three furlong pole and held sway late under a hand ride from Velazquez, who collected his third win on the day.

“She broke good and it looked like the one speed filly (She's Our Charm) would go and she did,” said Velazquez. “Down the backside, Joel (Rosario, aboard favored Miss Teheran) moved a little early and I also wanted to make sure I put a little pressure on the two (She's Our Charm) because she had been running easily. Turning for home, I asked her and she finished up great.”

A front-running winner of the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes here two starts back on Sept. 26, Mucho Unusual was the narrow second choice at 5-2 in a field of eight fillies and mares and paid $7.80, $4.40 and $3.20.

“We had an outside draw and that was a little bit of a concern,” said Yakteen. “There was one lone speed in the race. She is such a dream to train, so easy, so straightforward, she makes my job easy. She's my queen. We don't have a big stable but she's our queen.”

Out of Krikorian's Unusual Heat mare Not Unusual, Mucho Unusual, who turns 5 on Friday, is now a three-time graded stakes winner. With an overall mark of 18-6-3-4, she picked up $60,000 for the win, increasing her earnings to $762,715.

Owned in-part by former Santa Anita general manager, Ron Charles, English-bred Never Be Enough flew late for second money, prevailing by a nose over She's Our Charm. Ridden by Tiago Pereira, Never Be Enough was off at 32-1 and paid $18.40 and $10.40.

In a big effort, Ron McAnally's She's Our Charm fought bravely late and finished three quarters of a length better than Miss Teheran. Off at 4-1 with Juan Hernandez, She's Our Charm paid $4.00 to show.

Trained by Chad Brown, Irish-bred Miss Teheran shipped in from South Florida seeking her first stakes victory but her chances were seriously comprised when she hesitated leaving the gate and was subsequently shuffled back while in tight quarters. Thereafter, she appeared a bit keen with Rosario and when the rail opened up a half mile out, he asked her to engage the front runners in what proved a failed strategy as the actual 5-2 favorite.

Fractions on the race were 23.72, 47.90, 1:11.70 and 1:35.02.

Named in honor of the Hall of Fame trainer who passed away at age 68 in 2009, Bobby Frankel was a five-time leading Winter/Spring Meet trainer at Santa Anita and he remains the track's all-time leader by races won with 917 and is third on the all-time stakes-won list with 146. Frankel won the race's precursor, the San Gorgonio Stakes, a record seven times.

Live racing resumes at Santa Anita on Thursday with first post time for a nine-race card at 12:30 p.m.

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Gulfstream Park: Will New Year Reverse Bad Luck For Imprimis In Janus Stakes?

Breeze Easy LLC's Imprimis will seek to put the bad luck of 2020 behind him and start off the New Year with a return to the Gulfstream Park winner's circle following Friday's $75,000 Janus Stakes at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track.

The Janus, a five-furlong turf dash for 4-year-olds and up, will be featured on Friday's New Year's Day program that will also include the $75,000 Abundantia, a five-furlong sprint on turf for older fillies and mares, and the $75,000 Cash Run, a mile stakes for 3-year-old fillies. (First-race post time is set for 12:35 p.m.)

Imprimis concluded his 2020 campaign with a nightmare journey in the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Keeneland, where he was “stymied” and “steadied” in the 5 ½-furlong dash, according to the Equibase chart caller. The veteran star turf sprinter was shut off while making a move between horses, forcing jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. to sharply steady his mount during the stretch run.

“He got shut off for no reason. He was up in there and going. The horse was just starting to run,” trainer Joe Orseno said. “It was tough. It takes a lot to get him to where he is and peak like that and keep him like that. It wasn't like I had three or four in that day. I had one in and that was my best shot. He was the best horse but unfortunately the best horse didn't win. It was just a shame for all the connections. It was like a kick in the gut.”

Imprimis' 2020 season started off with some bad luck as well. The 6-year-old gelding came off a long layoff to prevail by 2 ¼ lengths in the Sept. 6 Troy (G3) at Saratoga, only to be disqualified through a controversial ruling by the stewards.

The son of Broken Vow came right back to tune up for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint with a late-running victory in the $700,000 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint (G3).

Imprimis has had nothing but good luck at Gulfstream, where he has been victorious in all four starts, including three victories in a row to launch his career. He came back the following year to capture the Silks Run.

“We were talking about waiting until the Gulfstream Turf Sprint Feb. 12, but he's doing so well,” Orseno said.

Ortiz has the return call on the Florida-bred gelding.

DARRS Inc.'s Extravagant Kid, who finished fourth while avoiding trouble in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, is scheduled to defend his title in the Janus. The Brendan Walsh-trained 8-year-old gelding, who fell just a length short at Keeneland last start, defeated two next-out winners in last year's Janus and followed that score up with a victory in the Sunshine Millions Turf Sprint at Gulfstream.

Tyler Gaffalione, who was aboard for both victories, has the mount aboard the Florida-bred son of Kiss the Kid.

Blind Ambition, Fully Loaded, Harry's Ontheloose, Sayyaaf and The Critical Way round out the main body of the field. Edgemont Road and Frosted Grace are main-track-only entrants.

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Lenzi’s Lucky Lady Takes To The Turf for Abundantia At Gulfstream Park

David Bernsen LLC and Jeffrey Lambert's Lenzi's Lucky Lady will take to the turf at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., for Friday's $75,000 Abundantia after really showing her affinity for the surface in her most recent start.

A stakes winner on dirt, the 4-year-old daughter of With Distinction debuted on turf in a Dec. 13 optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Park with a front-running victory at the five-furlong distance of the Abundantia.

“It looks like she found a new home on turf,” trainer Bob Hess said.

Formerly trained by Kathleen O'Connell, Lenzi's Lucky Lady won two stakes during her juvenile season, including the $100,000 Florida Sire Stakes Desert Vixen. She returned from an 11-month layoff to finish second in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance on dirt Aug. 22, when she was claimed by her current connections for $75,000. The Florida-bred filly was forwardly placed before fading to ninth in the Charles Town Oaks (G3) Aug. 28 in her first start for Hess.

“Dave Bernsen is the principle owner and he picked her out. Kathleen is a friend and a top-notch horsewoman, so I really had no illusions of moving the horse up at all,” Hess said. “She ran great the day we claimed her. We had a fiasco up at Charles Town and I brought her to Del Mar trying for the 'Ship & Win.' I worked her on the turf and she worked great, but the race didn't fill and we brought her back to Gulfstream.”

Emisael Jaramillo has the call aboard Lenzi's Lucky Lady.

Three Diamond Farm's Jakarta will seek her third victory over the Gulfstream Park turf in as many starts Friday. The Michael Maker-trained 6-year-old mare is coming off a 2 ¼-length victory in the Claiming Crown Distaff Dash at five furlongs.

The daughter of Bustin Stones has also shown versatility, having won the off-the-turf Powder Break at a mile over a sloppy Gulfstream track last May.

Luis Saez has the return mount aboard Jakarta.

David Melin, Leon Ellman and Laurie Plesa's Miss Auramet, who has also enjoyed success on dirt and turf, is scheduled to seek her fourth straight victory Friday. The Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained 5-year-old mare won back-to-back off-the-turf races at Delaware Park and Laurel Park before returning to South Florida to win an optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Park West Oct. 18.

Paco Lopez has the call aboard the daughter of Uncaptured.

Team Valor International's Victory Kingdom, who finished a close second in Ontario Fashion Stakes (G3) over Woodbine's synthetic surface two starts back, returns to turf for the Abundantia. Group stakes-placed in Europe, the 6-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom has made three starts in the U.S. for trainer Rodolphe Brisset, including a fourth-place finish in the Smart N Fancy stakes on turf at Saratoga last August.

Julien Leparoux is scheduled to ride Victory Kingdom for the first time Friday.

Cara Oliver's Hear My Prayer will seek her third victory in five starts over the Gulfstream Park turf course, where she captured the five-furlong Melody of Colors in March.

Irad Ortiz Jr. is scheduled to ride the daughter of The Big Beast for the first time.

Kenwood Racing LLC's Tracy Ann's Legacy will seek her fourth victory on the Gulfstream turf course, over which the 5-year-old daughter of Shackleford has finished in the money in all seven starts.

Edgard Zayas has the call aboard the Kelly Breen trainee.

Compensate, Disieincandyland, Miss Deplorable and Spun Glass round out the field,.

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