Seattle Borders, a graded stakes winner from the barn of Bobby Frankel, heads a field of nine in Saturday's $100,000 La Puente Stakes, a turf mile for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita Park. Frankel, just six wins shy of becoming only the second trainer in track history to win 800 races, seeks his meet-leading eighth stakes victory in 2004 at Santa Anita. Seattle Borders, a Florida-bred son of Western Borders, won the Baldwin Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the turf at about 6 ½ furlongs Feb. 28. Stretched out to 1 1/16 miles and switched to dirt in his last start, the El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) at Golden Gate Fields, Seattle Borders finished third. Saturday he'll return to the turf, where both of his previous victories came. Matt Garcia will ride him for the first time.
Ed Gann, owner of Seattle Borders, has seen huge success with Frankel. The pair has teamed up to produce such stalwarts as Medaglia d'Oro and Peace Rules.Seattle Borders is the only graded stakes winner in the field, but faces a pair of Irish-bred colts who have seen stakes success in Europe. Gwaihir and Moulin de Mougins, both of whom ran well behind Seattle Borders in the Baldwin Stakes, and are hoping to have more luck at the La Puente distance of a mile. $100,000 La Puente, 3-year-olds, 1 mile on turf
PP. Horse, Jockey, Wgt.
1. Trois Villes, Mick Ruis, 114
2. Gwaihir, Corey Nakatani, 114
3. Tricky Flash Flood, Eric SaintMartin, 114
4. Moulin De Mougins, Danny Sorenson, 114
5. Erewhon, Jose Valdivia Jr., 114
6. Toasted, Goncalino Almeida, 114
7. Seattle Borders, Matt Garcia, 116
8. Four Song Limit, Jozbin Santana, 114
9. Terroplane, Kent Desormeaux, 114