San Luis Rey Stakes (Grade 3)- $100.000 Purse
SA- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Half on the Turf
March 22, 2025

The starting gate for the San Luis Rey Stakes will be full at SA on Saturday, as twelve horses are set to run the maximum distance of a mile and a half on the turf. This is the 20th time that the race has been run in our virtual world, debuting as a Grade 2 in 2006 before it’s downgrade to a Grade 3 in 2020. Purses have ranged from $100.000 to $200.000 but have only gone down since the beginning. Last year’s race was held on soft going and saw Neds Influence register the victory for The Sidley Stud. He’s still active but will not be here to defend his title as he has been struggling a bit as of late. Here’s a look at those that will be seeing:

1- Life Is Beautiful (Riggins Racing, ridden by J Couton)- You can absolutely count on Life Is Beautiful running a strong race, as he has hit triple digit SRF’s in all but one of his last ten races (and the one that wasn’t was still a 98). Three of those races were wins, highlighted by the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at SAR over the summer. He’d be made the post-time favorite for the BC Turf, but did not cash a check there. Seems like a giant in here, but he can’t just sleepwalk through this.

2- Well Done (Team 7 Illusions, ridden by J Talamo)- Got into the BC Turf last fall on a last-ditch effort, by winning the Grade 1 Hirsch Turf Classic at AQU. Was officially in a fifth-place dead heat with Life Is Beautiful in the BC but has not been able to build on that progress in 2025. Finished near the back in the McKnight Handicap (Grade 3), which led to the trainer trying the dirt one start later. That didn’t go that well, either.

3- Ziccio (Night Rider Stables, ridden by U Rispoli)- The start of his 2024 was strong, but he did not finish it well. Thanks to results like placing third in the AP Million, he was able to get into the BC Turf, but the warning sign of trouble came in the race prior, the Hirsch Turf Classic. Ziccio has not been able to get it together since, though perhaps his fourth-place effort in the HOL Turf Cup wasn’t too bad. I like that he’s dropped into a $100.000 graded race, but he’ll have his hands full with Life Is Beautiful, among others, here.

4- Extreme Super Hero (Mb Stables, ridden by H I Berrios)- Since the start of last year, Extreme Super Hero has won five out of eight races, and for his career, he has hit the board in eleven of 14. He’s had some graded experience mixed in with that, and did manage to win the Grade 2 DMR Derby. Dropped into a smaller open allowance for his last race, which he did win, but deserves to be running for much more. Interestingly, he’s drawn post #1 in five of his last six.

5- Thirsty Bo (Bigchief Stables, ridden by K J Desormeaux)- After a lengthy layoff, Thirsty Bo returned to the track in October and won an allowance at FE. However, since then, he really has not done much to be excited about, but nonetheless, he is entered here. More than likely, the trainer is very encouraged by private works that suggest he can thrive at this distance. Perhaps he will, but I need to see it first.

6- Buffalo G (Nakamura Stables, ridden by A Ayuso)- This eight-year-old gelding is a 50-race veteran, and looks like he won’t have a problem continuing to add to that total. Overall, he has 17 wins, with the most recent one coming two starts ago in the $100.000 Carousel Handicap out east at GP in January. Was within a half-length of winning the Shadwell Turf Mile, a Grade 1 KEE, last fall as well.

7- Feel The Attraction (Arindel, ridden by E Maldonado)- Fared well at this distance in claimers, and that would lead to Arindel putting up the $14.000 tag to pick him up in January. Arindel’s aspirations have been much greater with Feel The Attaction, quickly sending him back out there for the McKnight Handicap. That would not go well, but it has not affected the trainer’s confidence in the gelding too much. Still, Feel The Attraction has to take down some big names here.

8- Calling All Angels (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by K Kimura)- With five wins and over $700.000 in earnings, Calling All Angels has done some very nice things in his career. However, in his last five races, he has only finished better than seventh once, which was an optional claimer at SA. To the trainer’s credit, he hasn’t been ducking top competition with the placement of this five-year-old, and that’s true here as well. Too inconsistent for me to pick.

9- Power Trip (Rock Creek, ridden by F Duran)- This veteran of small claimers at BTP and TUP is getting a new life with Rock Creek, it appears. So far, he’s not a success story, as their only start together was third place effort in a starter allowance at HOU. It may have been that Power Trip liked going long and will now go as long as one possibly can go. May make others wish they claimed him when they had a chance.

10- Double Jump (Team 7 Illusions, ridden by W Antongrgi III)- Comes here out of a race at BTP, but that was big step down for this horse that ran in the CC Emerald in the race prior. Did not run well in that one, but if the trainer needed the confidence booster, he got it with the BTP starter allowance win. He’s been great in starters but does that translate to graded stakes and beating the likes of Life Is Beautiful.

11- Tom Kha Gai (High Voltage, ridden by J Valdivia Jr)- This five-year-old gelding has won five out of 27 starts, and has regularly been running at the graded level since August. In that stretch of time, he’s been competitive but also seems to be needing just a little more to pull out a win. Does have a couple of ungraded wins on his record, and he’s the type of horse that I could see getting the upset victory at a decent price.

12- Rare Truth (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by J Laprida)- He’s been doing a little bit of everything as he tries to win for the first time since August 2023, which is also the last time he has hit the board. Going the maximum distance on the grass is the next thing on the trainer’s bucket list, but the past performances on this one simply do not generate optimism. But hey, when you’re due, you’re due.

Prediction: 1-6-4-11

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES