Palos Verdes Stakes

6f Dirt Grade 3

Purse $100.000 For Four Year Olds And Upward.

Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, Ca

Only Way Is Up from The Sidley Stud makes his 2026 debut on the drop to a grade 3 after several higher rated stakes in a row. Showed plenty of speed in the 2025 Breeder’s Cup sprint before fading late. Bullet work on the chart after an unusual bad wet track performance in the Kennedy Road is cause for some concern. Regardless, he is the horse to beat Sunday. Newly turned four-year-old Ineedu2party from Maxmillion Farm comes out of the same Breeder’s Cup race as the top choice and wasn’t far behind. First start since and second with older foes. Should be ready to roll. Eight-year-old Electric from Angelos Stable has been kept busy since his 2025 Breeders Cup run where he finished in a dead heat with Ineedu2party. All three starts down in allowance company to give him some confidence, a move that has been seen several times over the years. The last two were both wins. Still, will need a full bounce back to younger years to prevail here. Imposing Scenario also from The Sidley Stud is an interesting play here. The six-year-old switches back to dirt after racing on the sod in his last three with some success. Enough gas to position anywhere the pilot chooses and has been freshened for this. Watch the tote board for more clues.

Of the rest:

Neon Nightmare from Blazin D probably has the most to offer of the remaining runners here but is a newly turned four-year-old stuck on the rail. His best races have been when he has shown speed, and he has plenty of opposition today. Hard to see him going gate-to-wire here and if he doesn’t, he looks to be shuffled back and cooked. Demand some value if you believe.

To The Mattresses from Threshold gets stuck on the outside here and would need his career best to be on the wire with these foes. Not envisioning it happening at age seven.

Coterie from Santan Stables picks a tough spot to try and complete the hat trick looking at the company he has been keeping. Only possible positive angle here is that many horses experience the four-year-old jinx and are much better at five. He will need to be for sure to have any say here.

Cp Overthrown Scott from Night Rider Stables has the right style for an upset performance here but looking at the running lines, he would either need a shocking class upgrade or a thunderstorm.

Limpopo, the third entrant from The Sidley Stud is a nice horse running mostly in the bushes. To say that he gets the acid test here is an understatement.

-Trackman

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES