While most of the Breeders' Cup attention in his barn has centered on 2-year-old Halfbridled, trainer Richard Mandella is looking for a big effort from his other promising juvenile, Siphonizer, in Sunday's $250,000 Norfolk (gr. II) at Santa Anita. Halfbridled has drawn rave reviews in her three victories, and now Siphonizer is prepared for his stiffest pre-Breeders' Cup Juvenile test in the 1 1/16-mile Norfolk.
Siphonizer, a son of 1997 Santa Anita Handicap winner Siphon, broke his maiden at first asking, encountered traffic finishing fifth in the Best Pal Stakes (gr. III) , then won the Del Mar Futurity (gr. II) in his next start. Like his 2-year-old counterpart, Siphonizer has ability and mentally, seem cut from the same cloth, Mandella said.
"All horses are different individually," he said. "Some are high-strung, some are calm, some are crazy, some are mean, some are nice, but those two are typically good horses. They do things nice and they're healthy types and not really much trouble to train. They have no big quirks."
A horse can be smart and still border on being a juvenile delinquent.
"They can have high intelligence and behave badly," Mandella said. "Some are smarter than the people who work with them. I've come across that myself a few times."
In other Norfolk developments Friday, trainer Patrick Biancone said Pomeroy won't run. He would not elaborate.The son of Boundary was disqualified from first to third in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile on the Sept. 13 race at Turfway Park.
$250,000 Norfolk Stakes (gr. II), 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 mile
PP. Horse, Rider
1. Lucky Pulpit, Tyler Baze
2. Odds On, Gary Stevens
3. Consecrate, Pat Valenzuela
4. Siphonizer, Julie Krone
5. Capitano, Jose Valdivia Jr.
6. Perfect Moon, Victor Espinoza
7. Ruler's Court, Alex Solis
8. Coldntight, David Flores
9. Mambo Train, Ryan Fogelsonger
Each carries 120 pounds.