The lightly raced 5-year-old Bruce Chandler homebred Spirit of Makena (Ghostzapper) looks for his third straight victory for trainer George Papaprodromou following a 1 1/2-length score over the re-opposing Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah) in the GIII San Carlos S. last time Mar. 11. Spirit of Makena is the 8-5 morning-line favorite. The field of seven also includes last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint runner-up and popular 9-year-old gelding C Z Rocket (City Zip), an earner of more than $2 million.

Santa Anita's nine-race program also features a field of seven turf sprinters–led by last out Siren Lure S. winner and 9-5 morning-line favorite Whatmakessammyrun (We Miss Artie)–in the GIII Daytona S.

A field of six 3-year-old fillies, meanwhile, will line up in Belmont's GIII Soaring Softly S. going seven furlongs over the widener turf course. Christophe Clement will saddle Moyglare Stud Farm homebred and 6-5 morning-line favorite Love Appeals (Speightstown), who enters off a sharp optional claiming win sprinting over the Aqueduct lawn Apr. 27.

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Making just one start as a 3-year-old, on Dec. 26, the $65,000 Keeneland September buy stumbled early and raced greenly en route to a last-place run. Coming back at this seven-furlong trip Feb. 22, the bay was away much better and ran away to a 4 3/4-length graduation, earning a gaudy 97 Beyer. The John Sadler trainee backed that up with a wire-to-wire allowance/optional claiming success here Apr. 16.

Easily the most accomplished horse in the field is California-bred speedball Brickyard Ride (Clubhouse Ride). A three-time stakes winner last season as a 4-year-old, including a convincing four-length score in the track-and-trip GII San Carlos S., and is undefeated in four starts thus far as a 5-year-old, racking up frontrunning victories in the California-bred California Cup Sprint S., Tiznow S. and Sensational Star S. and open GIII Kona Gold S. last out here Apr. 30.

Gary Barber's Get Her Number (Dialed In), a Grade I winner over this track, will look to find himself getting back on dirt. Capturing the GI American Pharoah S. here as a juvenile, the $45,000 OBS April pickup failed to make a dent in four starts as a 3-year-old before scoring in a local allowance/optional claimer sprinting on the turf Mar. 12. He was unable to build on that when finishing 13th of 14 last out in the GIII San Francisco Mile S. on the Golden Gate lawn Apr. 30.

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Trainer David Hofmans gave Hernandez the mount on Award Winner in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes on Saturday. Breaking from the rail in the field of four, longshot Award Winner overhauled the pacesetter Acclimate to register a huge upset in the mile and one quarter race on the Camino Real Turf Course in 1:59.27.

“This was a really big win for us,” said Hernandez. “I knew that horse (Acclimate) had a lot of speed, so I let him go and my horse relaxed. I waited until the quarter pole and asked him one time and he really picked it up and made a huge move in the stretch.”

Hernandez then won his second graded stakes of the day on Magic On Tap for trainer Bob Baffert in the Grade 2 Triple Bend Stakes. Riding Magic On Tap for the first time, Hernandez settled the 5-year-old in third behind Eight Rings and Lambeau. He gained the advantage in mid-stretch to win the seven-furlong contest in 1:23.54.

“My horse, he helped me a lot, he broke really sharp and I was behind the speed all the race then when I hit the quarter pole, I asked him to go and he responded really well,” said Hernandez. “It feels great to win a big race like today.”

On Monday, trainer Simon Callaghan gave a leg up to Hernandez on longshot Maxim Rate for the first time in the Grade 1 Gamely. Off at 13-1 in a field of seven fillies and mares three and up, Maxim Rate stalked the pace while fourth early. Hernandez took advantage of favorite Charmaine's Mia fading a sixteenth of a mile from home as well as holding off a late run from La Signare to win by a half-length in 1:46.61 for the mile and one eighth turf contest. The win gave Hernandez the second Grade 1 win of his career and his seventh graded stakes of the year.

“She broke out of there, really clean break, she relaxed really well for me,” said Hernandez. “She's a very classy filly, you can do whatever you want with her.”

Weekly stats for Hernandez were 22-6-1-6 for a 27 percent strike rate and 59 percent in-the-money. Total purse earnings of $583,760 led all jockeys for the week. Hernandez currently sits second in the standings with nine racing days to go at the Santa Anita Winter/Spring meet.

Hernandez out-polled Kyle Frey who tied Tyler Gaffalione for most victories with nine, Santiago Gonzalez who won two stakes at Belterra and Jaime Rodriguez who had a 32 percent win rate.

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Originally run at Hollywood Park, the Triple Bend will be run for the 70th time on Saturday as a field of five older horses will compete at seven furlongs.

In a wide open affair, Bob Baffert's Eight Rings and Peter Eurton's Exaulted would both also appear to have big chances.

Owned by Jerome S. Moss, Lambeau, a 5-year-old full horse by First Samurai, was off at 16-1 in a second condition allowance on April 10 and he led every step of the way to win by one length when ridden for the first time by Edwin Maldonado, who rides him back in the Triple Bend. A winner of three out of his seven starts, Lambeau is untested at the trip and level, but has never been better.

A runaway winner of the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at age two in September, 2019, Eight Rings has been idle since well beaten in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes going seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 1. With an outstanding work tab to his credit, Eight Rings will be ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat in what will be his seventh career start.

A 4-year-old colt by Empire Maker out of the Pure Prize mare Purely Hot, Eight Rings is owned by Coolmore Stud, Golconda Stable, Madaket Stables, LLC, SF Racing, LLC and Starlight Racing.

Third, beaten four lengths by runaway winner Brickyard Ride in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs March 6, Exaulted rates a huge chance and will be ridden for the first time by Abel Cedillo. A 4-year-old colt by Twirling Candy, out of the Gilded Time mare Gilded Miracle., Exaulted is owned by C R K Stable and has trained well since the San Carlos, evidenced by a pair of bullet five furlong works on May 8 and May 15.

THE GRADE 2 TRIPLE BEND STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

1. Exaulted—Abel Cedillo—120
2. Lambeau—Edwin Maldonado—120
3. Shooters Shoot—Umberto Rispoli—120
4. Magic On Tap—Juan Hernandez—120
5. Eight Rings—Flavien Prat—120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Raced in partnership by Sol Kumin’s Madakat Stables, Slam Dunk Racing and Michael Nentwig, Air Strike won the GII Triple Bend S. at Santa Anita as a 4-year-old in 2019. Also fourth in last year’s GI Bing Crosby S. and GI Forego S., the bay retired with career earnings of $338,810.

“We were looking to add a true dirt-sprint pedigree with some depth on the dam side and we found it in Air Strike,” said Daryl Duncan.

Air Strike joins Duncan Farms’ other graded stakes-winning stallions, Corfu (Malibu Moon) and Fort Larned (E Dubai). He will stand his first season for $2,000 Live Foal.

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