The hillside turf course at Santa Anita Park is a unique layout best traversed by those with experience running over it. A couple of course specialists have been signed up to contest the $150,000 Daytona Stakes (G3T) May 27 over the downhill’s about 6 1/2-furlong distance.
Stormy Liberal drew best on the outside of the six-horse field. Since December all four of the gelding’s starts have come on the downhill turf course, and he’s gone to the winner’s circle after the last three, including a victory in the Siren Lure Stakes April 23. He has won six times in 12 starts over the layout and can be placed anywhere through the opening stages.
BALAN: Stormy Liberal Wins Third Straight Stakes
Ambitious Brew checked in three-quarters of a length behind the top choice in the Siren Lure after a bumping incident. His last four starts have also come over the downhill course, and he’s won a pair of them, including the Eddie D Stakes (G3T) in September and the Sensational Star Stakes in February.
Eddie Haskell also enters out of the Siren Lure, where he finished third after dueling for the lead. He came in third down the hill two starts back in allowance/optional claiming company. He’s giving a bit to the top pair in class but has hit the board in four straight starts. Roy H freaked last time out on a wet-fast main track after his allowance/optional claimer came off the turf, winning by 7 1/4 lengths. Two back he won down the hill in allowance/optional claiming company, and continued improvement could put him in the mix.
Blackjackcat finished a distant third behind Roy H last time out, when he made his seasonal debut. He had been running eight and nine furlongs previously, and placed in several graded affairs last season on both dirt and turf. The speedy 4-year-old could have ample say over the early pace. Home Run Kitten hasn’t raced since July, when he made his third straight start in grade 1 company. He has finished mid-pack behind top runners Lord Nelson and Midnight Storm in his last three, following a victory in the American Stakes (G3) , an off-the-turf heat over a wet-fast track. His last two over the downhill course were not pretty in the winter of 2016, but he brings back class with him.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, May 27, 2017, Race 3Entries: Daytona S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Ambitious Brew (CA) Mike E. Smith 124 Martin F. Jones 5/2 2 2Blackjackcat (KY) Rafael Bejarano 122 Mark Glatt 6/1 98 3Eddie Haskell (CA) SCRATCHED 0 UNKNOWN - 3 4Roy H (KY) Edwin A. Maldonado 122 Peter Miller 7/2 4 5Home Run Kitten (KY) Joseph Talamo 122 David E. Hofmans 5/1 5 6Stormy Liberal (KY) Norberto Arroyo, Jr. 122 Peter Miller 6/5
