Conquest Enforcer heads select field of five in Arcadia

Conquest Enforcer, What A View, Ring Weekend and Bolo all loom prominently among a field of five older horses in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Arcadia Stakes this Saturday at Santa Anita. The Arcadia, which was taken last year by Bolo, will be contested at one mile on turf and be run for the 30th time, dating back to 1988.

CONQUEST ENFORCER: A prompt 1 ¼ length winner of the Grade II Mathis Brother Mile (turf) as the 9-5 favorite here on Dec. 26, this 4-year-old Ontario Canadian-bred colt by Into Mischief will be making his second start for trainer Phil D’Amato since shipping west from Woodbine late last fall. Ridden by Flavien Prat, he went to the lead in the Mathis Brothers Mile and was dominant throughout, earning a career-best equaling 99 Beyer Speed figure. Owned by Loooch Racing Stables, Inc., Imaginary Stables and Raquel Ritchie, Conquest Enforcer is two for three at one mile on turf and has five wins from eight overall starts, with earnings of $480,640.

WHAT A VIEW: Trained by Kenny Black, he comes off a big second to multiple graded stakes winner Ashleyluvssugar in the 1 1/8 miles California Cup Turf Classic on Jan. 28 and will pose significant problems for anyone with designs on a front-running trip in the Arcadia. Although he’s returning to action in just two weeks, the cutback in distance should be to his liking and trainer Kenny Black appears to have this 6-year-old Vronsky gelding in top form. Bred in-part in California by Old English Rancho, he’s owned by Finish Line Racing, LLC, the Elwood Johnston Trust and Taste of Victory Stables. With four wins from eight starts at one mile on turf, he’s 16-6-3-0 overall with earnings of $643,326.

RING WEEKEND: Although he disappointed in the slop as the 8-5 favorite in the Grade II San Gabriel stakes, which was shifted to the main track due to rain on Jan. 7, this 6-year-old Tapit gelding scored an impressive head victory two starts back at Del Mar in the Grade II Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf Nov. 26 and has a well-rounded resume that includes a win in Santa Anita’s Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile (turf) in March, 2015. Trained by Graham Motion, he cuts back in distance a furlong, gets back to turf and would relish a hot pace, which could develop on Saturday. Owned by St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds, he’s 21-7-4-2 with earnings of $1,452,744.

BOLO: A winner of last year’s Arcadia, Bolo has been idle since well beaten in the Grade I, 1 1/8 miles turf Eddie Read Stakes on July 17 for trainer Carla Gaines. A 5-year-old horse by Temple City, Bolo, who was third in the 2015 Santa Anita Derby and subsequently 12th in the Kentucky Derby, has found a home on turf and has proven to be consistent at the Arcadia conditions, with two wins and a second from four tries at a flat mile on turf. Owned by Golden Pegasus Racing, Inc. and Earle I. Mack, LLC, Bolo will likely stalk the early Arcadia pace. With an overall mark of 12-4-1-2, he has earnings of $494,045.

THE GRADE II ARCADIA STAKES, WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 5 of 9 - Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT

1. Bolo, Mike Smith, 122

2. Ring Weekend, Rafael Bejarano, 124

3. What a View, Tyler Baze, 122

4. Ohio, Tiago Pereira, 120

5. Conquest Enforcer, Flavien Prat, 124