Charles Whittingham Stakes: Odds, pace projection, more
A stakes-laden Santa Anita card can keep racing fans busy Saturday as they await next weekend’s 2022 Kentucky Derby.
Beyond Brilliant (9-5) is the morning-line favorite among a field of seven for the card’s highest-pursed event, the Grade 2, $225,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes. Post time from Arcadia, Calif., is 9:09 p.m. EDT, with TVG to air the 1 1/4-mile turf route for 3-and-up runners.
The Charles Whittingham is one of four graded stakes on offer Saturday at Santa Anita. Also scheduled are the $100,000 Kona Gold Stakes (G3) at 6 1/2 furlongs, the $200,000 Californian Stakes (G2) at 1 1/8 miles for 4-and-up runners and the $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2), also at 1 1/8 miles, for 4-and-up fillies and mares.
In the Whittingham, Beyond Brilliant will look to score the second graded stakes victory of his career. He made the grade last November, upsetting Del Mar’s Hollywood Derby (G1) at 11-1 odds.
John Shirreffs trains the 4-year-old Twirling Candy colt, who was fourth March 5 at Santa Anita in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1). Jockey Victor Espinoza, who will also ride Grade 1 hero Express Train for Shirreffs in the Californian, gets the call on Beyond Brilliant.
Masteroffoxhounds (2-1) is a graded stakes winner dating to the local San Marcos Stakes (G2) in February 2021. Trained by Richard Baltas, he was runner-up March 25 at Santa Anita in an allowance race.
Dicey Mo Chara (4-1) was second March 12 at Santa Anita in the San Luis Rey Stakes (G3) for trainer Leonard Powell. Neil Drysdale trains Majestic Eagle (6-1), a Grade 3 victor who ran third March 11 at Turf Paradise in the Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile Handicap. Gold Phoenix (6-1) enters off a local allowance score April 2 for trainer Phil D’Amato.
Here is a look at the field for the 2022 Charles Whittingham Stakes (trainer and jockey in parentheses) with morning-line odds:
1. Gregdar (Phil D’Amato, Ryan Curatolo), 15-1
2. Dean Martini (Peter Eurton, Abel Cedillo), 15-1
3. Majestic Eagle (Neil Drysdale, Mike Smith), 6-1
4. Dicey Mo Chara (Leonard Powell, Drayden Van Dyke), 4-1
5. Gold Phoenix (Phil D’Amato, Kyle Frey), 6-1
6. Masteroffoxhounds (Richard Baltas, Juan Hernandez), 2-1
7. Beyond Brilliant (John Shirreffs, Victor Espinoza), 9-5
TimeformUS’ pace projections show Beyond Brilliant going out to a comfortable early lead from the outside post under Espinoza.
Other Saturday stakes
Here is a look at other graded stakes races taking place Saturday in the U.S. All post times are EDT and races can be seen on TVG.
5:29 p.m. – $100,000 Kona Gold Stakes (G3), 3-and-up, 6½ furlongs, Santa Anita
Brickyard Ride (6-5) takes a three-race winning streak into this spot as he leads a short field of four for trainer Craig Lewis. Jockey Juan Hernandez will be up on the Grade 2-winning, 5-year-old son of Clubhouse Ride, whose last victory came March 20 at Santa Anita in the Sensational Star Stakes. Brian Koriner trains Miles Ahead (8-5), a Grade 3 victor who won the Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes on Feb. 19 for former trainer Edward Plesa Jr. Tigre Di Slugo (7-2), trained by Mike Puype, runs for the first time since finishing fourth in a local allowance race in April 2021.
6:33 p.m. – $200,000 Californian Stakes (G2), 4-and-up, 1 1/8 miles, Santa Anita
Express Train (4-5) has won three straight graded stakes during the current Santa Anita meet, including the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) on March 5. Jockey Victor Espinoza gets the call from trainer John Shirreffs on the 5-year-old son of Union Rags. Ed Moger Jr. trains Stilleto Boy (5-2), who has hit the board in four of his last five starts, all in Grade 1 flight, and was third in the Santa Anita Handicap. Shaaz (7-2) improved to 3-for-3 when winning a local allowance race April 2 for suspended trainer Bob Baffert and starts Saturday for Sean McCarthy’s barn.
8:20 p.m. – $250,000 San Francisco Mile Stakes (G3), 3-and-up, one mile (turf), Golden Gate
Vanzzy (4-1) ships up from Santa Anita, where he won an allowance start March 25, and aims to make the grade for trainer Richard Baltas. Jockey Joe Bravo will pilot the 5-year-old son of Verrazano. Richard Mandella trains Ecrivain (9-2), a Group 3 winner in France who was third in that same Santa Anita allowance race. Restrainedvengence (5-1), third-place runner in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, finished fourth April 10 at Santa Anita in the John Shear Mile Stakes for trainer Val Brinkerhoff.
8:36 p.m. – $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2), 4-and-up fillies and mares, 1 1/8 miles, Santa Anita
Miss Bigly (5-2), a Grade 3 heroine, was runner-up March 5 to As Time Goes By in the Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita. Phil D’Amato trains the 6-year-old Gemologist mare, who will have jockey Ramon Vazquez aboard. John Sadler trains Park Avenue (7-2), who steps into Grade 2 company off a local allowance win March 20. Varda (4-1), a Grade 1 winner, was third in the Beholder Mile for Baffert and races Saturday for Sean McCarthy.