Holiday guide: Shoemaker Mile tops Grade 1s at Santa Anita
Monday's holiday racing schedule brings two Grade 1 stakes to Santa Anita, the Shoemaker Mile and the Gamely.
Both are on turf. The Shoemaker is at its one-mile distance for 3-year-olds and up and the Gamely at 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-old and older fillies and mares.
A field of nine was drawn for the Shoemaker, headlined by Formidable Man, a 4-year-old City of Light colt who started out last year on the Derby trail but found much greener pastures on the turf. He closed last season with a win in the Hollywood Derby (G1).
A poor showing in the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) to open 2025 was no cause for alarm since Formidable Man returned in March with a victory in the Kilroe Mile (G1). Trained by Preakness winner Michael McCarthy, Formidable Man will be ridden again by Preakness-winning jockey Umberto Rispoli.
The Shoemaker Mile is Santa Anita race 9 with the post time at 8:08 p.m. EDT.
Free past performances for the Shoemaker Mile and other graded stakes are provided courtesy of Brisnet.
Here are the lifetime top speed figures for the Shoemaker Mile entrants:
| No. | Horse | Beyer* | TFUS* | Brisnet | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seal Team | 99 | 123 | 98 | 127 |
| 2 | Atitlan | 97 | 121 | 105 | 135 |
| 3 | Seminole Chief | 90 | 121 | 90 | 116 |
| 4 | King of Gosford | 93 | 118 | 96 | 137 |
| 5 | Formidable Man | 98 | 121 | 97 | 120 |
| 6 | Zio Jo | 96 | 118 | 98 | 134 |
| 7 | Mi Hermano Ramon | 100 | 124 | 99 | 126 |
| 8 | Cabo Spirit | 97 | 123 | 100 | 123 |
| 9 | Goliad | 101 | 127 | 98 | 128 |
*Beyer and TimeformUS speed figures are presented courtesy of Daily Racing Form.
Pace makes the race
The TimeformUS pace projector is anticipating a swift pace on the Santa Anita green set by 8-year-old war horse Goliad. He'll be pursued by fellow veteran campaigner Cabo Spirit, and east coast shipper Seminole Chief should also have plenty of early foot.
King of Gosford, another East Coast turf horse, will track mid-pack with favored Formidable Man, Zio Jo and Mi Hermano Ramon right on their heels. The closers Seal Team and Atitlan will find their stride at the back of the pack.
The speed on the green tends to hold at Santa Anita, but the quality of the late runners here could give them a serious challenge down the short stretch.
HRN handicappers
Formidable Man appears to live up to his name, at least on the past performances for Laurie Ross and Ashley Tamulonis in this week's Head to Head handicapping. See who they like to fill out the superfecta.
HorseCenter takes a brief look at the Belmont Stakes field as it stands now, and then Matt Shifman and Brian Zipse focus on the Shoemaker Mile, with some insight into the pace and race shape for the turf mile at Santa Anita.
Santa Anita and Churchill Downs graded stakes are on the handicapping menu in this week's Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Horse Racing Nation's Ed DeRosa has analysis on this episode. It begins with Preakness final words from turf writer John Scheinman and former top steward Bernie Hettel, who has some compelling thoughts on the race.
The Super Screener has analysis and wagering tips for the Shoemaker Mile as well as this long-shot swing at Churchill Downs:
"The John Ortiz trainee (Brightwork) is bound to get overlooked in the wagering, presenting great value for us," Mike Shutty said. "She has not raced since October, which may keep some punters away, but her second-best figure came off a similar layoff. Form-cycle analysis is calling for a return to previous top performances."
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