The Bobby Frankel-trained Peace Rules, twice a stakes winner on turf, and stakes winners Spensive and Sum Trick head a field of nine entered in Saturday's $200,000 San Rafael Stakes (gr. II) for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita.
The one-mile San Rafael is a leading prep race for the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) on April 5. It is the seventh race on the card.
Peace Rules is making his 3-year-old debut for owner Edmund Gann after winning a pair of one-mile turf stakes at 2, the Generous (gr. IIIT) at Hollywood Park Nov. 30, and the Hill Rise at Santa Anita on Dec. 28. To be ridden by Patrick Valenzuela, Peace Rules, a Florida-bred son of Jules, will carry top weight of 121 pounds.
Spensive, third in the 1 1/8-mile Sham Stakes to Man Among Men and Empire Maker at Santa Anita in his last start on Feb. 7, is one of three Bob Baffert-trained entries in the San Rafael. Spensive won the Gold Rush at Golden Gate on a sloppy track in December, but finished fourth in the mud in the Golden Gate Derby (gr. III) on Jan. 11.
The other Baffert trainees are Indian Express, a son of Indian Charlie who has won both of his races to date by 10 3/4 lengths each in Panama, and Rojo Toro, a son of Mountain Cat who has also won both of his career starts in Kentucky.
Sum Trick was second in the San Vicente (gr. II) to Kafwain for trainer Rafael Becerra at Santa Anita on Feb. 1 after winning the Allison Futurity in New Mexico Dec. 29. Our Bobby V. finished second to Domestic Dispute in the Santa Catalina (gr. II) at Santa Anita last month in his first stakes appearance.
Iron Lad, winner of one of 10 starts in England as a 2-year-old, makes his United States debut for trainer James Cassidy. Iron Lad was well beaten in both of his group efforts on the turf in Great Britain.
Crowned Dancer, who beat a strong field that included Outta Here and Kafwain in the Hollywood Juvenile Championship (gr. III) in July but has not raced since, was a surprise entrant. A Florida-bred son of Tactical Advantage owned by Eastern Sky Unlimited Trust and Charles Cono and trained by Christopher Paasch, missed a considerable amount of training due to injury.
$200,000 San Rafael Stakes (gr. II), 3-year-olds, 1 milePP. Horse, Jockey, Wgt.
1. Our Bobby V., Laffit Pincay Jr., 115
2. Sum Trick, Tyler Baze, 118
3. Spensive, Victor Espinoza, 118
4. Iron Lad, Mike Smith, 115
5. Peace Rules, Patrick Valenzuela, 121
6. Indian Express, David Flores, 118
7. Just Wonder, Kent Desormeaux,115
8. Rojo Toro, Jerry Bailey, 115
9. Crowned Dancer, Alex Solis, 118
