After breaking through with his first stakes victory in six tries, Dynamic Sky attempts to surpass $1 million in career earnings as one of the favorites in the $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes (gr. IIT) Jan. 3 at Santa Anita Park.
The San Gabriel is one of two grade II races on the Saturday program at Santa Anita. The San Gabriel is race eight with a tentatively scheduled post time of 4 p.m. PST.
Trained by Mark Casse for owner John Oxley, Dynamic Sky has been freshened since winning the 11-furlong Red Smith Handicap (gr. IIIT) on a yielding Aqueduct Racetrack turf course Nov. 15. With $938,797 in earnings coming into the San Gabriel, he would need to win Saturday's 1 1/8-mile grass event to top the million mark.
The Ontario-based soon-to-be 6-year-old son of Sky Mesa has had just one published workout since the Red Smith, breezing five furlongs in 1:02 at Winding Oaks Farm Dec. 27. He'll be making his first start at Santa Anita.
After doing most his running on synthetic tracks, Dynamic Sky was switched to the turf this summer. In addition to his Red Smith win at Aqueduct, the dark bay horse has produced two seconds and two thirds against graded company in five starts at Woodbine, including a pair of grade I placings. Dynamic Sky was second in his only try at 1 1/8 miles on turf, which came five starts back in the Nijinsky Stakes (Can-IIT) at Woodbine.
Dynamic Sky will be cutting back a quarter-mile in distance for the San Gabriel, a race won in three of its past four renewals by the now-retired Jeranimo. Corey Nakatani, who won the San Gabriel three times in the 1990s, rides Dynamic Sky for the first time from post 3. They were assigned 118 pounds, five fewer than Tom's Tribute , Big Bane Theory, and Finnegans Wake.
Tom's Tribute was third in the 1 1/16-mile Seabiscuit Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Del Mar as the 3-2 choice in his most recent start Nov. 28, overtaken by Kaigun after getting the lead in the stretch. Earlier this year, the son of Lion Heart won Del Mar's Eddie Read (gr. IT) at the San Gabriel distance, and the Del Mar Mile (gr. IIT) before finishing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT).
Trainer Jim Cassidy said he expects a good comeback from Tom's Tribute after a rough trip in the Seabiscuit.
"He got cut up pretty good in the race," the trainer said. "His whole hind leg was all cut up, but he worked (Dec. 27), and everything's all right now."
To be ridden again by Mike Smith, Tom's Tribute is coming off the best year of his career for the Braly Family Trust with three wins from eight starts and earnings of $438,650. He drew the far outside post.
Finnegans Wake won the 12-furlong Hollywood Turf Cup (gr. IIT) at Del Mar Nov. 29 in his third start since being transferred to Peter Miller's Southern California stable this summer. The late-running son of Powerscourt figures to need quite a bit of pace to factor at the shorter distance. Victor Espinoza has a return call.
Big Bane Theory won the one-mile City Of Hope (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita Oct. 14, and is 3-for-5 over the track. He was most recently fifth in the Seabiscuit.
Casse, who has a 28-horse stable at Santa Anita this winter, also entered Patrioticandproud, a good closer who missed by a neck when second to Finnegans Wake in the Turf Cup.
Skyring, making his first start for Hall of Fame conditioner Neil Drysdale, will race without blinkers. The multiple grade II winner dueled on the lead in his most recent try in the Seabiscuit before fading to seventh.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, January 03, 2015, Race 8Entries: San Gabriel S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Edge of Reality (PA) Flavien Prat 118 H. Graham Motion - 2 2Big Bane Theory (CA) Joseph Talamo 123 Carla Gaines - 3 3Dynamic Sky (ON) Corey S. Nakatani 118 Mark E. Casse - 4 4Patrioticandproud (PA) Drayden Van Dyke 118 Mark E. Casse - 98 5Persuasive Paul (FL) SCRATCHED 0 UNKNOWN - 5 6Finnegans Wake (KY) Victor Espinoza 123 Peter Miller - 6 7Power Ped (KY) Tyler Baze 118 Neil D. Drysdale - 7 8Skyring (KY) Kieren Fallon 120 Neil D. Drysdale - 8 9Tom's Tribute (KY) Mike E. Smith 123 James M. Cassidy -
