Triple Bend Stakes – (Grade lll)

Purse $100.00 – For Three Year Olds And Upward

7 Furlongs – Dirt

Santa Anita Park – May 31, 2026

As racing at Santa Anita starts to wind down, the 22nd edition of the Triple Bend Stakes showcases seven older horses running seven furlongs. There have been several changes to this race over the years, but the most notable is the purse going down from $200.00 last year to $100.00 this year. The Triple Bend Stakes was introduced in 2005 and was a Grade One event. It was downgraded to a Grade Two in 2019 and reduced again last year to a Grade Three. Mb Stables stands alone as the most successful stable in the history of this race with four victories. The inaugural running in 2005 produced a record that still stands today, as Joshua Stable’s Omni dominated by six lengths while covering the seven furlongs in 1:19.91. With career earnings among this year’s entrants ranging from $36 to $660, this edition brings together a diverse mix of proven veterans and emerging contenders, making for an interesting race on paper. Let’s see if there are any standouts this year:

1. Smokin Hash – (The Sidley Stud, E. Maldonado) This gelding has six career wins, and half of those were at the seven-furlong distance. Connections picked up this guy at Parx in a $7.50 open claimer and had immediate success. Blinkers and Lasix were removed, and Bute was added for Smokin Hash’s first start for his new barn and won a starter allowance in wire-to-wire fashion. The Sidley Stud took a shot in the Dowd Mile last time out, stretching this five-year-old out to two turns for the first time in his career. It proved to be another good move as he made every pole a winning one. This is no doubt going to be Smokin Hash’s biggest test yet. Others look more dangerous entering this race.

2. Unattainable – (Zoeller, J J. Hernandez) Claimed from Threshold for $10.00 just two starts ago at Sunland Park. This son of Dixon Butz has done his best work sprinting, finishing in the money in nine of his eleven sprint starts, with the exceptions coming in his career and graded stakes debut. He had one start at the seven-furlong distance back in October of last year, just missing by a neck. Unattainable ran second last time out at Turf Paradise in the Rollins Stakes. It was a six-furlong event, and he was in striking distance throughout the race. The New Jersey-bred ran evenly in the stretch and couldn’t close on the leaders. There are more convincing options in this field.

3. Captain Rich – (Brh Stables, U. Rispoli) A versatile runner who has put together impressive performances on both dirt and turf. Though Captain Rich has better speed figures on the turf, he won the Cactus Wren Handicap last time out. It was a six and one-half furlong event at Turf Paradise with seven horses entered. He settled second to last about four lengths off the pace and came with a big run in the stretch to get a dead-heat win. It was a career-best performance, producing a 99 SRF figure. Captain Rich had one try going seven furlongs last year in Louisiana, finishing second by a length. Although he looks to be in top form, other entrants catch the eye a bit more in this spot.

4. Excogitator – (Family Racing, A. Fresu) Ended up being a bargain claim for $20.00 last year, winning the Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar. That win got him a spot in the starting gate for the Breeders Cup Sprint. Excogitator unfortunately didn’t fire that day, but connections did a good job developing him after the barn switch. Now as a five-year-old, he started off his year down in Florida, running in an open allowance going seven furlongs. He was the heavy favorite in a three-horse field and ended up dead-heating for a one-length victory. Connections decided to try Excogitator on the turf last time out in the American Stakes and finished fourth. This is definitely going to be a major contender.

5. Wild Girl – (Delta Farms, V. Espinoza) Bought at auction for $1.01 back in late 2024 and has five allowance wins since. This son of Breath Of The Wild strung along an impressive three-race win streak from October 2025 to March 2026. Wild Girl drew the rail in two of those races and had rising speed figures in each start. He was the favorite two starts ago at Gulfstream going seven furlongs and took the lead in late stretch for a half-length victory. Delta Farms took a big swing last time out and entered Wild Girl in the Grade One Churchill Downs Stakes. This gelding was far back early on and ended up making up a couple of lengths in the stretch to finish fifth. No question he’s capable of winning this race.

6. Capiche – (Ajm Stables, V. Del-Cid) After winning the Grade One Forego and making a start in the Breeders Cup Sprint last year, Ajm Stables picked up this gelding at auction for $102.00. He wasn’t fully cranked up for his return at Sunland Park, and you can tell the five and one-half furlong distance was too short for him. Capiche went to Keeneland for his next start and was the favorite in an N2X. It was a wire-to-wire victory with a 95 SRF figure. Connections tried to parlay that victory in the Grade One Churchill Downs Stakes, resulting in an eighth-place effort. This is somewhat a class-relief facing easier company, but he’ll need to take another step forward. Might be a longshot play.

7. llium – (D J C Racing Stables, K. Kimura) Has done all of his running in the allowance and claiming ranks. This is also the most inexperienced gelding entered this year, with thirteen career starts and two wins. llium wasn’t performing up to standards in 2025, D J C Racing Stables decided to remove Bute at the start of the new year. He immediately won a starter allowance as the favorite, drawing away to win by a length. The son of Worst Case Scenario failed as the post time favorite in his last two races with a second and third. The one question mark for llium is his experience at the seven-furlong distance. There was one start at the distance in the mud last year, and he finished fifth. Tough to endorse in here.

– AJM

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES