Pair in Tokyo City for Record Setter O'Neill

(from Santa Anita notes)
Less than a week after breaking the Santa Anita record for wins at a meeting with his 48th victory, trainer Doug O'Neill is not resting.

He'll saddle two of the six runners in Saturday's Tokyo City Handicap (gr. III) as he looks to extend his record and win his ninth stakes of the meeting. The 37-year-old trainer had 216 starters through Thursday, nearly twice that of any other trainer.

The Tokyo City, a 1 1/8-mile contest for older horses which was known until this year as the San Bernardino Handicap, has seen such winners as Native Diver and Alysheba in its 48 previous runnings.

O'Neill will send out a pair of 5-year-olds – Supah Blitz, winner of last summer's Del Mar Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II), and Jake Skate, who won the Lafayette Handicap at Golden Gate Fields earlier this year and is the starting high weight under 117 pounds.

Martin Pedroza will ride Jake Skate and Victor Espinoza has the mount on Supah Blitz, who will try to bounce back from a last-place performance in the March 5 Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I).

In conjunction with the race, Santa Anita will celebrate Tokyo City day, which includes cultural exhibits and on-track demonstrations like tea ceremonies, origami and Taiko Drums.

Saturday's supporting feature is the $75,000 Santa Paula Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Trainer Bob Baffert will saddle stakes winners No Bull Baby and Inspiring in the 6 ½ furlong race.

$100,000-added Tokyo City Handicap (gr. III), 4 & up, 1 1/8 miles
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight
1. Jake Skate, Martin Pedroza, 117
2. Skukuza, Rene Douglas, 114
3. Supah Blitz, Victor Espinoza, 116
4. Ender's Shadow, Jose Valdivia Jr., 114
5. Outta Here, Kent Desormeaux, 114
6. That's An Outrage, Tyler Baze, 113