Californian Stakes (Grade 2)- $200.000 Purse
SA- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
April 17, 2021

A field of nine will be going to post for the 17th running of the Californian Stakes, a race that sends older horses nine furlongs around the track at SA. We’re going to see some well known names in this race, too, including Combat Wombat. The race itself has attracted good ones throughout its history, and has been won in the past by Icicle, Dark Crown, and Spanish Showboat, among others. Last year, Nakamura Stables earned his second Californian win, thanks to Space Commander, and that is a horse that went on to have a great 2020 and has continued that this year. Who’ll be the next to add their name to the list? Let’s meet the possibilities!

#1- Tip The Dancer (Nolespan Racing, ridden by U Rispoli)- This colt will make his first start of 2021 from the rail. It will also be his graded debut, which is pretty interesting considering he has not raced for a while. It’s hard to tell anything from his public works, as he has only had one of them in 2021 as well. I’ll have to see a race, first.

#2- Detained (Gdp Inc, ridden by F Prat)- Comes off a win in his last start, which was the $100.000 Haynesfield for NY-breds, last month. The victory represented his first since September 2019, and the first time that he had done so since Gdp Inc acquired him in February. His effort in the Haynesfield can be motivation for Tip The Dancer, as it was off a nearly six month layoff.

#3- Machine Gun Tommy (Nakamura Stables, ridden by T J Pereira)- The type of horse that would normally seem like a good fit for these conditions if it were not for some of the bigger names. Three starts back, he shot down the field in the Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap, but has not hit the board since. His best could get it done, but there is no margin for error.

#4- Home Spirit (Night Rider Stables, ridden by M E Smith)- Picked up by the trainer in late May last year for $7.500 in a claimer, and the trainer had much bigger aspirations. Initially, the results were great, with an allowance win at WO, then a $60.000 ungraded stake win. Since then, he has been getting a piece of the purse, but has not been back to the winners circle. He’ll keep the big names honest here.

#5- Orion Nebula (John Henry, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- This gelding has won a little more than $1,300.000 in his career, but it has been a while since he added to that total. His last time finishing in the money was when he was second in the Fayette at KEE in October. Since then, he has been struggling to run with the greats, and then was seventh in an open allowance here last month. Needs to run big to prove his time is not up.

#6- Zombie City (Eastern Equine, ridden by T C Baze)- It will be career start #33 for this six year old, and he is still running well. In fact, he has won two of his last three starts, which were the Grade 3 Mr Prospector and the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes. So, this veteran is still getting it done even though he has shortened his distance to under a mile recently. This will be the first time that he has run nine furlongs since the Woodward in 2019, but we know he can handle it just fine!

#7- Combat Wombat (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by A Cedillo)- One of the greats of the game right now, this six year old gelding has accumulated over $3,100.000 in career earnings. He has been able to win three of his last four as well, but interestingly only two of those wins have been at the stake level. The one he won was the Grade 1 Clark Handicap, but the other wins were open allowances. Last month, the trainer opted for a $70.000 open allowance despite bigger races being available. No reason to think he can’t get it done here, but it is good to see him back in the type of race he belongs in.

#8- Belo Horizonte (John Henry, ridden by J J Hernandez)- A winner of four out of sixteen for his career, though he has done a better job in hitting the board. His signature win came in October last year, at the Kelso Handicap, but other than that we have not been seeing much of him at this level. Won his last race, which was a six furlong optional claiming win at TAM.

#9- Night Creature (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by Ru Gonzalez)- He’s had a couple months off now since running on three weeks race in the RBC Handicap, a race that he won. It would be his fifth win in 17 races, and his second win in a Grade 3 over his last four races. He has not ducked the best over this career, running in the BC Juvenile Turf as well as the PRK and his best SRF’s have been in his last two starts. I want to think outside the Wombat box, so making him my pick.

Prediction: 9-7-6-4

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES