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Warren’s Showtime Best In California Distaff At Santa Anita

Classy Warren's Showtime overcame a pedestrian pace and rallied from last to take Saturday's $100,000 California Distaff Handicap for owner/breeders Ben and Sally Warren and trainer Craig Lewis at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. An ultra-consistent chestnut filly by top sire Clubhouse Ride, Warren's Showtime, in her first try down the track's hillside turf course, went about 6 ½ furlongs under Juan Hernandez in 1:13.76.

Last after the first half mile but only about four lengths off the lead, Warren's Showtime, who was shortening up out of five consecutive turf miles, loomed ominously as the field made the dirt crossing at the top of the lane and sliced her way through traffic in what was to become her seventh career stakes victory.

“I wasn't confident when I saw the first quarter, but I could see Juan was confident, so that gave me some hope,” said Lewis, who also conditioned millionaire Clubhouse Ride and Warren's Showtime's Grade I winning dam, Warren's Veneda. “(It) made me think maybe. Once she got into gear, I knew she'd get there…Another Clubhouse Ride, they just run.”

Overlayed at 2-1 off of her morning line of 9-5 in a field of six fillies and mares, Warren's Showtime paid $6.80, $3.80, and $2.80.

With the Distaff winner's share of $60,000, Warren's Showtime boosted her earnings to $775,431 from an overall mark of 22-8-2-10.

“I knew the pace wasn't that fast, but she was in the bridle and pulling,” said Hernandez, who has been aboard for her last nine races. “That's the way she likes to run and she came with a big run today. She's a nice filly, very consistent.”

The Warrens, who came in from their Las Vegas base to watch today's Distaff, were understandably elated with their homebred star.

“It's just been unbelievable and (Ben) has had so many horses, but not one that has been so consistent as 'Showtime,'” said Sally Warren. “We were just saying, 19 out of 21 starts and she's hit the board and that's unbelievable…We are really, really thankful. Craig picked her out at the farm, now we know (why).”

Although it was expected that speedy Anna Fantastic would make the early lead, most observers felt she'd be pressed by eventual favorite Bella Vita through quick early splits, but with Bella Vita taking a more conservative approach, moderate hillside fractions of :22.90, :45.99, and 1:08.14 resulted and it was Sedamar, who was second to the dirt crossing, who prevailed for the place by a half-length over Anna Fantastic.

Ridden by Joe Bravo, Sedamar was off at 7-1 and paid $6.60 and $4.40.

Anna Fantastic, off at 4-1 with Edwin Maldonado up, paid $3.60 to show while finishing 2 ¼ lengths clear of even-money favorite Bella Vita.

The California Distaff Handicap is part of the lucrative CTBA sponsored Golden State Series for eligible California-bred or sired fillies and mares three and up.

The Distaff marked win number two on the day with two races remaining for Hernandez, giving him 10 for the meet—five back of Flavien Prat, who has 15 wins through nine racing days.

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

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Neptune’s Storm Returns To Best Distance In Lure Stakes At Santa Anita

Neptune's Storm, a versatile son of prolific turf sire Stormy Atlantic, returns to a distance he fancies—one mile on grass—in next Saturday's $70,000 Lure Stakes for three-year-olds and up at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

The bay gelding is coming off an eventful ninth-place finish in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at a mile and a quarter, the longest route ever attempted in his 23 career starts.

“A mile is a better distance for him,” said trainer Peter Miller, alluding to the tractable campaigner's record of five wins, one second, and one third over that venue.

Leading rider Flavien Prat, who won the restricted Wickerr Stakes on Neptune's Storm at a mile on Del Mar's turf course July 18, will be back aboard.

“He's a nice horse that tries hard,” said Miller, who has had Neptune's Storm for his last four races, the gelding having previously been trained by Richard Baltas and earlier Bill Morey.

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Loud Mouth Headlines Field For California Flag Handicap At Santa Anita

Loud Mouth, fresh and fit after being promoted to victory in the E. B. Johnston Stakes at Los Alamitos on Sept. 12, his first race in three months, returns to the turf in Sunday's $100,000 California Flag Handicap at about 6 ½ furlongs at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

A five-year-old full horse by Boisterous trained by Steve Knapp for owner Ron Thomsen, Loud Mouth's lone grass win came in a $32,000 claiming sprint at Santa Anita on Feb. 17, 2020.

“He's got plenty of speed for Abel (Cedillo) to come out of the gate and place the horse where he wants,” Knapp said. “The horse is doing very well right now. He had a three-month rest because he needed it. Now he's starting to come around again.”

Winner of the $100,000 Cary Grant for Cal-breds at Del Mar last Nov. 22, Loud Mouth has eight wins from 29 starts with earnings of $374,070.

“Ron's been with me for three or four years and we've done well together,” Knapp said. “He's got nine horses with me now.”

The California Flag goes as race seven of nine with a 1 p.m. first post time: Give Me the Lute, Kent Desormeaux, 3-1; Ground Attack, Edwin Maldonado, 20-1; Tiger Dad, Victor Espinoza, 20-1; North County Guy, Umberto Rispoli, 5-2; Loud Mouth, Abel Cedillo, 8-1; Unbridled Ethos, Ricardo Gonzalez, 12-1; Whooping Jay Joe Bravo, 4-1; Desmond Doss, Kyle Frey, 6-1; and Indian Peak, Juan Hernandez, 6-1.

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Five Competitive Races Comprise Friday’s Stronach 5 Wager

Five competitive and interesting races from Laurel Park, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park will comprise Friday's Stronach 5.

The coast-to-coast action begins at approximately 4:27 ET and features a low 12-percent takeout.

The Stronach 5 begins in Maryland with Laurel's eighth race, an allowance event on the turf for fillies and mares going 1 1/8 mile. Follow the Flag, a 3-year-old filly by Tapit out of the Grade 1 winning mare, Mushka, returns after a six-month layoff for trainer Michael Matz. Runaway Monet, who broke her maiden by 9 ¾ last time out for trainer Rodney Jenkins, hopes to try the turf for the first time after having three previous starts on the grass moved to the main track.

Next up is Gulfstream's eighth race, an allowance optional claimer at six furlongs for state breds with a dozen entered including Vinnie Van Go, who has been claimed in seven of his last eight starts. The gelding will be saddled Friday by Saffie Joseph Jr. Vinnie Van Go is one of six horses in the race claimed from its previous start. Katie's Cowboy goes out first time for Kent Sweezey, Frenchmen Street for Elizabeth Dobles and Gangly for Jose D'Angelo.

The third leg of the sequence returns to Laurel and its ninth race, a maiden claiming events at six furlongs for 2-year-olds. Bust'em Kurt is the 7-5 favorite for leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez after a pair of seconds against maiden special weight company. Divining Stone, a son of Divining Rod, makes his debut for Arnaud Delacour as does Off Course, a son of Speightster, for Jeremiah O'Dwyer.

The Stronach 5 heads west for the final two legs of the sequence. Santa Anita's third race, a claiming event for fillies and mares at six furlongs on the turf, has a field of nine including Mind Meld, making his third start off the layoff for trainer Mike Puype and dropping from $50,000 claiming company. Sweet Devil gets blinkers for trainer Michael McCarthy. Miss Tokyo makes her first start since June of 2020 for Leonard Powell. Acai has placed in two of three starts across the dirt for Doug O'Neill, and New Drama has done the same for Tim Yakteen.

Santa Anita's fourth race concludes the Stronach 5 with maidens 3-years-old and up going six furlongs on the main track. Sir Flatter draws the rail after closing strongly for second money last time out at Los Alamitos. The full field may have to catch Try to Capture, who runs on or close to the pace in his first two starts for trainer Peter Miller. Fenestra returns to the races off a 16-month layoff for trainer Vladimir Cerin. Fenestra, a son of Street Sense, is out of the graded stakes-placed mare Curlina.

Friday's races and sequence

Leg One –Laurel Race 8: (10 entries, 1 1/8-mile furlongs turf) 4 :27 ET, 1:27 PT
Leg Two –Gulfstream Race 8: (12 entries, 6 furlongs) 4:38 ET, 1:38 PT
Leg Three –Laurel Race 9: (10 entries, 6 furlongs) 4:59 ET, 1:59 PT
Leg Four –Santa Anita Race 3: (9 entries, 6 furlongs turf) 5:05 ET, 2:05 PT
Leg Five –Santa Anita Race 4: (13 entries, 6 furlongs) 5:35 ET, 5:35 PT

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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