Bolo, Catapult lead open cast in Santa Anita's City of Hope Mile
In what promises to be the best betting race of the weekend, trainer Carla Gaines’ Bolo, John Sadler’s Catapult and the Jeff Mullins-conditioned River Boyne head a wide-open field of 11 3-year-olds and up in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 City of Hope Mile over the Santa Anita Park Turf.
Approximate post time is 4 p.m. PT.
Trainer: Carla Gaines
Idle for 23 months prior to running fifth here in a 1 1/8-mile turf allowance on April 28, this 7-year-old gelding by Temple City then executed a gate-to-wire heist in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on May 27, winning by 1 ¼ lengths over top local turf horse River Boyne at 32-1. Subsequently a well-beaten eighth at 6-1 in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile Handicap on turf Aug. 18, Bolo will be making his fourth start of the year over a course that’s seen him win five races from 10 tries.
Owner: Woodford Racing LLC
Trainer: John Sadler
Idle since fifth, beaten three lengths as the 3-2 favorite in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar July 21, this 6-year-old full horse by Kitten’s Joy was fifth by a similar margin to Bolo two starts back in the Shoe Mile, a race in which no one could make up appreciable ground from off the pace. A multiple graded stakes winner and easily the leading money earner in the field with more than $1.5 million, Catapult could well go favored in the City of Hope Mile.
Owner: Red Baron’s Barn & Rancho Temescal
A gem of consistency over the past two years, this 4-year-old Irish-bred colt has been idle since finishing second, beaten 1 ¼ lengths by Bolo, in the Shoe Mile and looms extremely dangerous on a course he adores. With six wins from nine tries over the Santa Anita lawn, River Boyne, who is 8-3-3-0 at one mile on turf, figures to get a stalking trip as he bids for his fourth graded stakes victory.