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Neptune’s Storm Gets Narrow Victory In Lure Stakes At Santa Anita

Heavily favored Neptune's Storm ran to the betting in Saturday's $70,000 Lure Stakes at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., as the 5-year-old Stormy Atlantic gelding accelerated nicely off the turn for home en route to a methodical neck victory under Flavien Prat. Trained by Peter Miller, Neptune's Storm got one mile on turf in 1:35.49.

A close second to pacesetter Lambeau to the far turn, Neptune's Storm drew alongside mid-way around the far turn, and with three-sixteenths of a mile to run, there was little doubt he'd deliver the mail, although Prat stayed busy late to keep him focused as he kept runner-up Order and Law at bay close to home.

“We had a good trip,” said Prat, who along with Miller registered his second win on the day. “He was traveling well and when I asked him turning for home, he kicked on well. When he went by that horse (Lambeau), he messed around a bit. He's an old man, he knows what he's doing.”

Most recently ninth against much tougher competition going a mile and one quarter on turf in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Classic here on Oct. 2, Neptune's Storm was off at 1-2 in a field of six 3-year-olds and up and paid $3.00, $2.60, and $2.20.

“I think Flavien did a great job getting him out in the clear,” said Miller. “When Edwin (Maldonado, aboard Lambeau) slowed it down…, I thought well, we have no excuses. He tried to pull himself up a little bit the last eighth of a mile, but Flavien stayed busy enough and we got it done.”

Owned by CYBT, Saul Gervitz, Lynn Gitomer, Mike Goetz, Michael Nentwig, and Daniel Weiner, Neptune's Storm also relished a return to a flat mile as he registered his sixth win from 12 tries at the distance. With the winner's share of $44,880, Neptune's Storm, a two-time graded stakes winner, increased his earnings to $981,865.

Ridden by Abel Cedillo, Order and Law rallied from off the pace to make it close late as he finished three-quarters of a length in front of Lambeau. Off at 10-1, he paid $6.20 and $4.00.

Lambeau finished a length clear of second choice Majestic Eagle and paid $5.00 to show while off at 12-1.

Fractions on the race were :23.12, :47.66, 1:12.17, and 1:23.80.

Prat would go to notch his third win of the day in the eighth race aboard the Richard Baltas-trained Barbwire and appeared poised to get his fourth win of the afternoon aboard early favorite Urban in the ninth and final race.

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m.

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Flashiest Prepares For Twilight Derby At Santa Anita Oct. 31

Flashiest, who has outrun his odds in almost all six of his career starts, could continue that pattern in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., on closing day next Sunday, Oct. 31.

A son of Mizzen Mast conditioned by Leonard Powell, Flashiest has three wins and two seconds, his lone disappointing performance an eventful 11th in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., last Aug. 7.

“When we shipped to Saratoga, the experience was too much for him,” the trainer explained. “He got really hot in the paddock and he got to be a handful for the jockey. The whole thing was a bit overwhelming.

“He had his first race in April of this year, so he's still quite immature. But once we got back to Del Mar and into his routine, he's been just fine.”

A three-year-old gelding, Flashiest has a win and a second over Santa Anita's turf course, and the mile and an eighth of the Twilight Derby should suit his strong stretch-running style.

“That should be the right distance for him,” Powell said, “and Abel (Cedillo) will ride him back.”.

Cedillo was aboard last out on Sept. 4 when second by three-quarters of a length at odds of nearly 13-1 in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby, and at nearly the same odds on July 16 when he guided him to victory by a head in the restricted Oceanside.

Flashiest worked four furlongs this morning in :50.40.

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Longshot Indian Peak Victorious In California Flag At Santa Anita

Longshot Indian Peak settled nicely off the early pace and mounted a furious stretch rally under Juan Hernandez to outrun favored North County Guy by a head in Sunday's $100,000 California Flag Handicap at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. In his third start for Peter Miller and his first try down the hillside turf course, Indian Peak got about 6 ½ furlongs in 1:12.52.

The California Flag Handicap, named for the High Card Ranch's homebred millionaire who won the 2009 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita, is part of the lucrative CTBA sponsored Golden State Series for California-bred or sired 3-year-olds and up.

Breaking from the far outside in a field of nine, Indian Peak was sixth, about five lengths off the lead at the half-mile mark while well within himself. Six-wide and on the move at the dirt crossing, Indian Peak pinned his ears and outran North County Guy late in a thriller.

“He felt really comfortable, he's a nice horse,” said Hernandez, who won yesterday's California Distaff Handicap run down the hill with Warren's Showtime. “He tries all the time. I rode him before, maybe three or four times (when based at Golden Gate Fields, dating back to December of 2019) and he's the kind of horse that always comes with a run at the end.

“Peter Miller told me to just sit there and make one run and then before the quarter pole, before we crossed the dirt, he started running, so I just let him run. He picked the lead right after we crossed the dirt and we were fighting the inside and outside (horses), but we made it…”

Most recently a well-beaten fifth by North County Guy in 1 1/16-mile turf allowance as the 7-5 favorite on Aug. 20 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., Indian Peak was off at 16-1 and paid $35.80, $11.20, and $5.40.

A 4-year-old California-bred gelding by Comic Strip out of the Roar mare Ms. Booty, Indian Peak, who was originally conditioned by Golden Gate Fields-based Quinn Howey, is currently owned by Gary Barber and Wachtel Stable.

A winner of Santa Anita's Snow Chief Stakes in only his third start at age three on June 20, 2020, Indian Peak registered his second stakes win today and improved his overall race record to 20-6-3-1. With the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $333,532.

The 7-5 favorite, North County Guy ran too good to lose, finishing a head in front of Unbridled Ethos. Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, North County Guy paid $3.40 and $2.60.

With Ricky Gonzalez up, Unbridled Ethos was off at 9-1 and paid $5.00 to show while finishing 1 ¼ lengths clear of Whooping Jay, who lacked racing room turning for home.

Fractions on the race were :22.00, :44.06, and 1:06.65.

Live racing resumes with first post time for an eight-race card on Friday at 1 p.m. Pacific.

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Santa Anita Offering ‘Ship & Win’ Program For Winter/Spring Meet

As part of a continuing effort to attract new horses and help to ensure better field size, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., will again be offering significant bonuses to horsemen bringing out-of-state horses to run at Santa Anita's upcoming Winter/Spring Meet which begins on Dec. 26.

Eligible horses will receive a $5,000 bonus as well as purse money 35 percent above their allotted purse percentage for one start. Horses that become eligible at the 2021 Del Mar Fall Meet will also be eligible for Ship & Win bonuses for their first start at Santa Anita's Winter/Spring Meet.

The $5,000 bonus will also apply to any stakes horse that meets Ship & Win eligibility guidelines, but those horses will not be eligible for the 35 percent purse increase.

“All of us have been gratified at the success of the Ship & Win program this year, at both Del Mar and here at Santa Anita,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “We're certainly hoping to continue to attract more out-of-state horses this winter and spring and given the significant amount of money available, this has certainly incentivized our horsemen to go out and procure additional racing prospects.”

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