Santa Anita's John Henry Turf Championship a wide-open affair

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella’s highly regarded United and a pair of Phil D’Amato trainees, Acclimate and Cleopatra’s Strike, rate big chances in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita Park, which has attracted a wide open field of eight 3-year-olds and up at a mile and one quarter.

 

UNITED 

Owner: LNJ Foxwoods                                           

Trainer: Richard Mandella

Idle since rallying from off the pace for a 1 ¼-length win in a mile and one eighth turf allowance at Del Mar on July 17, this 4-year-old Giant’s Causeway gelding was a troubled second two starts back in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at a mile and one quarter on turf here on May 25. With Flavien Prat riding back, United could be poised to post his first stakes win in the John Henry.

ACCLIMATE 

Owner: The Ellwood Johnston Trust & Timmy Time Racing                    Trainer: Phil D’Amato

A front-running 5-year-old California-bred gelding by Acclamation, he registered his first graded win when waltzed to one length gate to wire score in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap going 1 3/8 miles on turf Aug. 17. Ridden by eastern-based Florent Geroux at Del Mar, he’ll be handled for the first time on Saturday by Victor Espinoza. With a hillside start, he’ll shorten up in distance an eighth of a mile.

Owner: Slam Dunk Racing & Michael Nentwig                                      

Trainer: Phil D’Amato

 

A sharp second, beaten a nose in his So Cal debut, the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes here on Jan. 5, this 6-year-old Ontario Canadian-bred gelding by Smart Strike went to the sidelines and resurfaced in a second condition allowance at Del Mar Sept. 2. A fast finishing second, beaten a head going 1 1/8 miles on turf, he’ll be making his third start for D’Amato on Saturday and should get plenty of pari-mutuel attention.

1. Ya Gotta Wanna—Geovanni Franco—121

2. Oscar Dominguez—Joe Talamo—121

3. Cleopatra’s Strike—Abel Cedillo—121

4. Ritzy A.P.—Martin Garcia—121

5. United—Flavien Prat—121

6. Grecian Fire—Mike Smith—121

7. The Street Fighter—Edwin Maldonado—121

8. Acclimate—Victor Espinoza—125