san simeon stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Long regarded as a two-turn horse on grass, trainer Phil D'Amato's 5-year-old Gregorian Chant has found a home sprinting on turf at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as he rallied from last to take Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 San Simeon Stakes by a neck while getting six furlongs on turf in 1:08.79 under Juan Hernandez—his second consecutive turf stakes win at the distance.

Unhurried early from his number two post position, Gregorian Chant was into the bridle, about four lengths off the lead while a joint fifth heading to the far turn as heavily favored Jolie Olimpica showed the way. Moving easily around the turn, Hernandez wheeled four-deep turning for home and in a thriller, outran Sombeyay and Flavien Prat late.

“He broke slow and I just let him get comfortable (on the backstretch) and then when we went into the stretch, Phil told me to get him rolling and that's what I did,” said Hernandez, who also orchestrated a 2 ¼-length win in the ungraded Clockers' Corner Stakes on Jan. 24. “It's exciting fighting with another horse, going head and head, you feel excited and you feel strong. You just want to win the race.”

Off at 7-2 in a field of six older horses, Gregorian Chant, who was bred in England, paid $9.80, $4.20 and $2.20.

“It took us awhile to figure out what he wanted to do,” said D'Amato. “This horse has found his home sprinting, no question. There's so much difference in him now, compared to him at three and four (years old). He' matured a lot and we will definitely keep him short.”

Ridden by Flavien Prat and trained by Peter Miller, Sombeyay was attentive to the pace, made the lead turning for home and couldn't hold the winner off while finishing 2 ½ lengths in front of Jolie Olimpica. Off at 4-1, Sombeyay paid $4.80 and $2.60.

Richard Mandella's Brazilian-bred mare Jolie Olimpica, who went to the front out of the gate under Mike Smith and was head and head into and around the turn, couldn't run with the top two late and paid $2.10 to show while off at even money.

Fractions on the race were 22.72, 45.52 and 57.32.

The post D’Amato Finds Home In Turf Sprints For Gregorian Chant appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In what appears to be a completely wide-open affair at six furlongs on turf, classy Bob and Jackie looks to rate a big chance cutting back in distance for Richard Baltas as he faces sharp recent winner Gregorian Chant, defending champ Cistron and Brazilian-bred Jolie Olimpica, who will be facing males for the first time in North America in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 San Simeon Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Second, beaten 3 ¾ lengths as the 2-1 favorite by rising star Hit the Road (who took this past Saturday's Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile) in the G3 Thunder Road Stakes at one mile on turf Feb. 6, Bob and Jackie will be sprinting for the first time since his debut at age two on Oct. 20, 2018, when he was a close second going 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita's hillside turf course.

A three-time minor stakes winner at one mile on grass at ages two, three and four, Bob and Jackie has won four out of his 10 lifetime starts — all in combination with Heriberto Figueroa, who will be replaced on Saturday by Drayden Van Dyke. Owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran, Bob and Jackie, a 5-year-old horse by Twirling Candy, has ample natural speed and will likely be in close early attendance, despite the fact he's cutting back in distance. With an overall mark of 10-4-3-1, Bob and Jackie has earnings of $269,551.

Trained by Phil D'Amato, English-bred Gregorian Chant, who was cutting back in distance off of 11 consecutive routes, came roaring from off the pace to register an emphatic 2 1/4-length win in the restricted Clockers' Corner Stakes versus seven rivals at six furlongs on turf Jan. 24 and appears to be a horse who's perhaps found a new niche in partnership with jockey Juan Hernandez. With the likes of Cistron in the lineup, Gregorian Chant, who is owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Old Bones Racing Stable, LLC and Michael Nentwig, should have a solid pace to run at on Saturday as he seeks his first graded stakes win.

A winner of last year's San Simeon two starts back when it was contested at 5 ½ furlongs on turf, John Sadler's Cistron has been idle since running fifth in the G3 Dayton Stakes at 5 ½ on turf on May 23, 2020. A G1 winner on dirt, Cistron, a 7-year-old full horse by top sprinter The Factor, will be ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli. With an overall mark of 29-6-7-6 and earnings of $762,719, Cistron should show plenty of early zip off the bench as he seeks his fourth graded stakes victory for Hronis Racing, LLC.

A Group I and Group III stakes winner versus males at age three in her native Brazil, Richard Mandella's Jolie Olimpica will be suiting up against males for the first time in America as Mandella seeks to keep her at six furlongs on turf. Second, beaten 2 ½ lengths as the even money favorite by Charmaine's Mia (who came back to take the G2 Buena Vista Stakes) in the six furlong turf Las Cienegas Stakes Jan. 9, Jolie Olimpica will be making her second start off of a seven month layoff and should give a good account of herself with regular rider Mike Smith back aboard. A 5-year-old mare by Drosselmeyer, Jolie Olimpica is owned by Fox Hill Farms, Inc., and has won a pair of graded stakes for Mandella in five stateside starts and she's compiled an overall mark of 8-5-3-0.

GRADE 3 SAN SIMEON WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS
IN POST POSITION ORDER

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

Barristan The Bold—Abel Cedillo—120
Gregorian Chant—Juan Hernandez—122
Bob and Jackie—Drayden Van Dyke—122
Sombeyay—Flavien Prat—120
Cistron—Umberto Rispoli—122
Shashashakemeup—Ricardo Gonzalez—120
Jolie Olimpica—Mike Smith—117
Sparky Ville—Ruben Fuentes—120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE. All of Santa Anita's races are offered free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can wager at 1^st.com/bet. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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