Decisive Edge in Good Spot for Hollendorfer

Jerry Hollendorfer entered Decisive Edge and Rousing Sermon in Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Tokyo City Cup at 1 ½ miles on dirt, but is likely to run only Decisive Edge, with Rousing Sermon going in Sunday’s $75,000 Santana Mile.

It would mark the first stakes start for Decisive Edge, a 4-year-old Bernardini colt who has made eight of his 12 career races on turf.

“We’ll enter Rousing Sermon in the Santana and make a decision,” said Hollendorfer assistant Dan Ward, “because he’s very good at a mile, and since he’s a Cal-bred and there’s a Cal-bred bonus (of $22,500), it’s almost the same purse (as the Tokyo City Cup).

“But aside from that, we’ve really been wanting to run Decisive Edge long. His best was a mile and a quarter (second by a half-length on Feb. 6), and his dirt race (second to the front-running Alfa Bird at 1 1/8 miles on Jan. 2) also was an excellent race. He might be a real specialist at that distance.”

The field for the Tokyo City Cup, race eight of nine: Helm, Drayden Van Dyke, 10-1; Decisive Edge, Alex Solis, 8-1; Rousing Sermon, Rafael Bejarano, 4-1; Bronzo, Gary Stevens, 9-5; Arlington House, Tyler Baze, 6-1; Image of Joplin, Agapito Delgadillo, 12-1; Bailoutbobby, Elvis Trujillo, 8-1; and Sky Kingdom, Martin Garcia, 5-2.

SORESCA TRIES NEW TACTIC IN MARCH MADNESS

Soresca was nominated to Saturday’s March Madness Starter Handicap for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf and the Grade III Tokyo City Cup at 1 ½ miles on dirt for older horses, but trainer Jim Cassidy is opting for the lesser of the two evils, on paper at least.

An Irish-bred daughter of Elusive City, Soresca won her last start at 13-1 going a mile on turf at the $25,000 claiming level, coming from well off the pace under Santiago Gonzalez.

“She had shown speed in her earlier races in this country,” Cassidy said, “but it didn’t work out. We’ve taken her back and that suits her better.”

The March Madness: Soresca, Santiago Gonzalez, 6-1; Jade With Envy, Felipe Valdez, 5-1; Toppers Sunshine, Fernando Perez, 6-1; Handfull, Rafael Bejarano, 3-1; Love Blind, Drayden Van Dyke, 6-1; Teasing Moment, Brayan Pena, 30-1; Loan Savant, Mario Gutierrez, 8-1; Grandiose Tactics, Tyler Baze, 5-2; Marina Del Heat, Flavien Prat, 30-1; Bitter Tears, Modesto Linares, 30-1; and Summers Dignity, Tiago Pereira, 20-1.

SANTANA MILE IDEAL SPOT FOR MAJESTIC CITY

Ron Ellis has found a softer spot for Majestic City. After performing admirably but not winning in four straight graded stakes, the 6-year-old City Zip horse has been entered by the trainer in Sunday’s $75,000 Santana Mile in quest of his first victory since capturing the restricted Big Bear Stakes at Santa Anita in October of 2013, a span of seven races.

The Santana Mile will mark Majestic City’s second start since finishing fifth in the Grade II San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs on March 7. It was his first race in more than 10 months.

“I would hope he moves forward off his last start,” Ellis said. “I think he’s better going a mile than seven-eighths anyway.”

Majestic City has a 4-4-4 record from 23 starts, with earnings of $453,960.

The field: Secretsatmidnight, Martin Garcia; Majestic City, Tyler Baze; Blue Tone, Kent Desormeaux; Appealing Tale, Fernando Perez; Storm Fighter, Alex Solis; Galicado, Mike Smith; You Know I Know, Santiago Gonzalez; Ankeny Hill, Joe Talamo; Rousing Sermon, Rafael Bejarano; and Edge of Reality, Drayden Van Dyke.

SANTA ANITA RIDERS IN DERBY DAY 5K WALK & RUN

Several Santa Anita-based jockeys will participate in Santa Anita’s annual Derby Day 5K Walk and Run on Saturday, April 4. A traditional prelude to the 78^th running of the Santa Anita Derby later in the day, the Derby Day 5K will start at 8 a.m.

“We’re going to have more jockeys participating than ever before,” said veteran rider Aaron Gryder, who was born in nearby West Covina and has more than 3,600 wins in a career dating back to 1987.

“We’re all out here to have fun, but I think the number of jocks participating is a pretty good indicator that we all are living healthier and are much more committed to fitness than maybe we were 20 or 30 years ago.”

The jockeys, with their probable odds of winning provided by Santa Anita morning line maker Jon White follows:

Saul Arias, 15-1; Cheryl Charlton, 15-1; Victor Espinoza, 12-1; Omar Figueroa, 6-1; Santiago Gonzalez, 15-1; Aaron Gryder, 10-1; Modesto Linares, 12-1; Edwin Maldonado, 12-1; Bryan Pena, 15-1; Tiago Pereira, 12-1; Iggy Puglisi, 15-1; Alex Solis, 10-1; Joe Steiner, 12-1; Kayla Star, 15-1; Elvis Trujillo, 8-1; and Drayden Van Dyke, 8-1.

All runners will begin their 5K journey in Santa Anita’s parking lot area that adjoins the Westfield Santa Anita Mall. After running north on Baldwin Ave., the course angles west into the Los Angeles County Arboretum for a scenic loop. The runners will then head east across Baldwin Ave. for a short tour of Santa Anita’s stable area en route to the track’s Infield tunnel which takes them to a quarter-mile finish on Santa Anita’s inner training track.

Adults and children of all ages are encouraged to participate and may register online at www.kinaneevents.com. Derby Day 5K walk-up registration will be available from today, March 20, through April 2 at Run With Us, located at 235 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena.

Those wishing to register the day before the event can do so on April 3 at the Promenade at Westfield Santa Anita from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Race day registration will be available in the Santa Anita parking lot, next to the 5K starting line, beginning at 6:30 a.m.

For more information on the Santa Anita Derby Day 5k Run and Walk, please visit santaanita.com/events or call (626) 574-RACE.

FINISH LINES: Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Bayern, under regular rider Martin Garcia, worked six furlongs in company Thursday morning for Bob Baffert in 1:13.40. Stablemate Oh Billy Billy was timed in 1:14.40. “Nice and easy” is how Baffert described Bayern’s move, but the trainer offered no word on what race he might have in mind for the colt’s 4-year-old debut . . . Two-time Eclipse Award winner Beholder worked six furlongs under exercise rider David Neusch in 1:12.40. “She’s training great,” said Richard Mandella, adding, “We’re still working on where to start.” . . . Leading jockey Rafael Bejarano, who won three races Sunday to increase his lead to 61-34 over runner-up Tyler Baze, has been cleared to ride based on an appeal of a three-day suspension (March 28, 29 and April 2) for causing interference on Jazzy Josh in Saturday’s fourth race . . . Firing Line punched his ticket to the May 2 Kentucky Derby with his facile score in Sunday’s Sunland Derby. “He’s back here at Santa Anita and will train up to the Derby,” Simon Callaghan said of the son of Line of David owned by Arnold Zetcher. “I was kind of hoping for that (kind of margin of victory). I think he needed to go and do that to really put himself into the Kentucky Derby picture.” . . . Crimson Giant, 12-1 morning line chance in today’s sixth race, will be making his eighth start this meet, which began last Dec. 26. That’s eight races in 90 days, an average of nearly one start every 11 days for the 6-year-old gelded son of Formal Gold, who will be seeking his second win today in this, his 68^th career start . . . Tom Quigley’s guest handicappers in the East Paddock Gardens at 11:20 a.m. will be Peter Dills, horse player and Southern California food critic, Saturday, and Jonathan Hardoon of the Ragozin Sheets, Sunday . . . Sign of the apocalypse: Leading trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who has started 150 horses this meet, one fewer than leader Doug O’Neill, does not—repeat, does not—have a horse entered at Santa Anita on Thursday or Friday. “We entered,” Hollendorfer assistant Dan Ward said, “but the races didn’t fill.” Team Hollendorfer will make up for the rare shortfall when it plans to enter 14 horses on Santa Anita Derby weekend, April 4 and 5, and possibly one at Keeneland, one at Oaklawn Park and one in New York . . . Popular longtime Southern California-based trainer Norman MacDonald passed away in Vancouver, B.C. this past Jan.16 at age 89. A former professional hockey player, he was perhaps best known as the conditioner of long-fused turf gelding Flying Gene. MacDonald was surrounded at his passing by his sons, former trainers Brad and Mark MacDonald . . . On Saturday, the Grade III Tokyo City Cup will be the feature race on Japan Family Day, with the Ramen Yokocho Festival in the infield. For more details, visit www.tokyocitycup.com.

Source: Santa Anita Park