San Antonio Stakes (Grade 2)- $300.000 Purse
SA- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
February 4, 2017
As we get set to run the 11th running of the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes, we’ll need to prepare for the surprisingly loaded field that we have this year and it will be amazing. This is a race that has not always filled in our virtual world, as in both 2010 and 2012, we were unable to get the necessary entries. The purse began to increase, and peaked the last two years at $500.000, and that got us a couple bigger and stellar fields. However, the purse saw a reduction for 2017, and even though $300.000 is a nice figure, you had to wonder if that would affect the race. The answer to that is no as well, as this race features the 2016 winners of the PRK, the Travers, the Pacific Classic, and the Hirsch Turf Classic; each won by a different entry in the field. A couple are showing off some new colors for this race as they begin their season racing for new trainers. Let us look at our field.
#1- Bo Jangles (John Henry, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- We know that John Henry is not shy about putting down big bucks for horses that he wants, and in December he purchased Bo Jangles, the winner of the 2016 Travers, for $350.000. They’ve already had a race together, and Bo Jangles would disappoint in the Malibu. Not really sure if he is going to be worth that purchase price, as I do wonder if he reached his peak in the Travers and Australia Wide was wise to cash out on him. Without question, this is a crucial race for him, and he’ll need to rediscover that Travers form.
#2- Chrystal Pip (Mb Stables, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- The five year old has shown tremendous versatility to be dominant on both the dirt and the grass, so don’t fall asleep on the reigning Hirsch Turf Classic winner just because we’re on the main track here. This will be the first race of the season for him after finishing 7th in the BC Turf in November. In all, he won four races last year with the top dirt result being a win in the Grade 1 Gold Cup. In the past, he has been the type to look to come from off the pace, though that’s not a certainty with him as he is versatile in running style as well.
#3- Larry L Lavendar (Nakamura Stables, ridden by V Espinoza)- This gelding is also a graded winner, though not one of the big ones mentioned in the introduction. His claim to fame is a win in the Grade 3 Affirmed just prior to being sold to Nakamura from Our Athletes. Larry ran in the PA Derby in his first race after the sale, and would finish in the middle of the field. Nakamura must not have liked what he saw, though, he dropped him hard, to a GG allowance after that, and would win that race. This race provides a chance at redemption for Larry L Lavendar, and we’ll see if he can make the most of it.
#4- Gentile Il Buono (Sc Lanciano, ridden by T C Baze)- A winner of four of ten races in 2016, this El Gran Broomstick colt got better as the year went on and picked up a graded victory of his own, coming in the Grade 3 Durham Cup in late September. Following that, he was third in the $500.000 WV Breeders Classic, with one of the ones who beat him running last month in the Pegasus World Cup, so that seemed like a good result. Like Larry L Lavendar, that result led to a considerable drop, running in a TAM open allowance. We can say then that he too, is looking for a little redemption.
#5- Ned Isakoff (Smokey Stover, ridden by D Moran)- I was very surprised when I saw the news that Jerry Garcia Racing had sold this one, simply because I always pictured the two of them together. They went through a lot in 2016, including winning a TC Jewel, in the PRK. The year also featured a win in the PA Derby and a couple of strong seconds in KYD prep races. He would not have his best race in the BC Classic, and Jerry decided he had enough, sending him to Smokey Stover via private sales. Now, the purchase price was $900.000, so Jerry did get a nice payday, and Smokey pins high hopes in him continuing his form on the track, though he will have plenty of value in the shed, too. They made their debut, but regular J J Castellano will not be aboard, as he will be at GP, riding Night Terra in the Holy Bull, and likely others. D Moran gets the call and Ned should step up.
#6- Greek Poet (Hawaiian Shirt Guy, ridden by F Geroux)- The five year old gelding had a debut on New Year’s Day that he would like to forget about. Running in an open allowance in the slop, Greek Poet lost by 15 lengths. I have to say that since he won the Pacific Classic, he just looks off to me. He has not beaten a horse in his last 3 (14th of 14 twice, and 5th of 5 once), and has lost be a combined 32 lengths in those races. Work times also seem to be heading in the wrong direction. He’s a star of over $2,000.000 in career earnings, so you cannot count him out, but it’s hard to be excited about him here.
#7- Asset Class (Sccj Stables, ridden by F Prat)- Ran in ten races last year, and was able to pick up one victory, the Grade 3 Coolmore Lexington. The highlight of his season came mainly over the summer with a pair of strong second place finishes, one of which was in the Grade 2 WV Derby. However, his last three races have been disappointments, and it even had the trainer attempting turf start in his last race. Unlike Greek Poet, I am not seeing a concerning trend in works, so Asset Class certainly seems far more possible and capable of getting back on the right track here.
#8- Outward Bound (Eastern Equine, ridden by J L Ortiz)- This seven year old is also a Pacific Classic winner, having won the race in 2015. He tried to defend that title in 2016, but came up well short. That 2015 win is also the last time he has won a race, going winless in his last eight. Outward Bound has been resting and trying to get back into his old form, and this race will mark the end of an over four month layoff. We’ll see if that time away from the track will help him out here. For now, a likely longshot.
Prediction: 5-2-1-7
— NS
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
