Californian Stakes (Grade 3)- $200.000 Purse
SA- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
April 20, 2024

The Californian Stakes has been won by some great horses in its history, including both Icicle and Dark Crown in the early days and both Spanish Showboat and Space Commander more recently. Ten horses will take part in this year’s race, hoping to add their name to what is a pretty impressive list. This race was a Grade 2 then and ran for a $250.000 purse for a few years before that would be cut and ultimately the race was relocated from HOL to SA due to the closure of that track. In 2024, the race lost some status with a downgrade from a Grade 2 to Grade 3 but offers the same $200.000 purse that the race has seen since 2014. Last year, Lets Celebrate got the win for Riggins Racing, and you can call that his coming out party. It wasn’t his first stakes win, but after that victory he stayed hot and had a memorable summer. Do we have another budding superstar like him in this field? Let’s check out those who hope that answer is yes:

1- Louisiana Asset (Big Jd Racing, ridden by K J Desormeaux)-The weather for SA on Saturday looks good, with only an 11% chance of rain, but that may go up a tick if Mother Nature notices Louisiana Asset is racing. The gelding has not seen a fast track since October but has been able to handle the wet going with two wins in four starts. After winning the $100.000 Premier Night Sprint for LA-Breds, he took a trip to AQU for the $150.000 Stymie last month, run at a mile, and ran third. He’ll get some more room to run here, and some nice weather to go with it!

2- Darkest Night (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by Ru Gonzalez)- Here’s another one that can’t escape the rain, running on off tracks in each of his last three starts and none of them were the same race Louisiana Asset was in. Darkest Night does a good job getting a piece of the purse, with no finish lower than fourth since June. That was the spot he finished in during his last race, the Grade 3 Fool Handicap at AQU. He’s been able to go back and forth between sprinting and routes without any issues.

3- Flat Cup (Fractious, ridden by J J Hernandez)- Seemed like he would be destined for more, given that he participated in a couple of KYD preps last year, including here for the SA Derby. But as the year went on, he would become quite inconsistent, with a couple of in the money finishes allowing the trainer to keep up the hopes for him, but Flat Cup did indeed become flat. After three subpar outings, he finally returned to the winner’s circle in his last race, an allowance at TP last month. Can he build some positive momentum now? Wouldn’t be the first example of that happening!

4- 4 Free (Locked And Loaded, ridden by U Rispoli)- This new stable, who’s name I really like, enters a stake for the first time with 4 Free. Last month, the trainer picked him up in an optional claimer for $40.000 but he has been in stakes at times over his career. Looking way back, he did win one in May 2022. This year, the horse has struggled, with two poor outing leading to the optional claimer he was picked up in. He did run second in that, and he has some very nice works coming into this. Don’t rule him out!

5- Hot Dog (South Shore Stables, ridden by A Ayuso)- Ran well as a two-year-old and followed that up by running in many top races for three-year-olds in 2022, but that’s really all we have to say about those races. Did win the Grade 2 Day Mile Stakes, but that is his claim to fame still. His fortunes didn’t really change much last year, winning one of eight races, and making less than $60.000 on the year. Mostly been running in open allowances of late and may be becoming a little more consistent.

6- Troublesome Order (Alydar Stables, ridden by K Kimura)- After successfully getting results in overnights, Troublesome Order made his stake debut in the Grade 3 Challenger Stakes, a $100.000 race that had a $1,000.000 race-caliber field. In that, Troublesome Order ran at the back most of the way before passing a few to get fifth. This race may actually have a larger purse, but the field quality is not as strong, and that’s not meant to disparage anyone here. A beautiful work at the start month shows he’s ready. Keep an eye out for this one!

7- Animal House (Night Rider Stables, ridden by V Espinoza)- 23 of his 26 career starts have come on the grass and that includes racing in races as prestigious as the Pattison. He didn’t get a check in that, though, and none of his five victories have been in any of the stakes that he has attempted. Last month, he would be moved to the main track for the $150.000 Stymie at AQU, and finished second, one spot better than Louisiana Asset. More of the same should give him a good shot here, as he did earn a 98 SRF in the Stymie. Three of his last four races have been on off tracks, so add him to the list of horses that will be happy to see some California sun.

8- Jolly Rook (Angelos Stable, ridden by J Laprida)- He’s the headliner of the field, with over $2,600.000 in earnings. No one else has more than $800.000. However, a lot of that was won a while ago, when he was making a large impression in 2020. More recently, he has remained productive and still was able to earn over $600.000 in 2023, with a New Orleans Handicap win being the biggest score. In his last five starts, he’s hit the board four times but none of them are wins, but things may set up for him to change that here. Be watching for this traditional closer in the stretch.

9- Polymath (Gdp Inc., ridden by E Maldonado)- With two wins in his last three races, Polymath will get a chance to show what he can do at the graded level. He’s run ungraded a couple times, including the one race of his last three he did not win, the $65.000 Lad Handicap, where he was the runner up. He will have to be at his best to have a shot here, but with his form as good as it is right now, this is the time to take the shot.

10- Noble Faerie (Riggins Racing, ridden by M E Smith)- We saw this gelding in the KYD, thanks to back-to-back seconds in the Gotham and Wood Memorial, but he would only finish in the middle of the field there. Followed that up well in a pair of Grade 3’s before he would run second in the Haskell. But just when we were getting excited about him, he had a miserable run in the Travers and was a non-factor in the BC Dirt Mile. He’s only raced twice since then, winning an open allowance before coming up empty in the Ghostzapper. Seems to have an inconsistent nature, and when the good side shows up, he can beat anyone here.

Prediction: 6-8-2-10

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES