Santa Anita: D’Amato’s Balnikhov leads Joe Hernández Stakes

Phil D’Amato’s classy Irish-bred Balnikhov cuts back in distance and leads a field of a dozen 3-year-olds and up going about 6 1/2 furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes.

A fast-finishing third, beaten one length going 1 1 1/16 miles over the Del Mar lawn in the Seabiscuit Handicap (G2) on Nov. 25, Balnikhov, a two-time graded-stakes winner on grass, will be trying the hillside course for the first time on Saturday and will be ridden by Antonio Fresu, who guided him to a narrow second-place finish four starts back in the Eddie Read Stakes (G2) on July 30.

A 4-year-old gelding, Balnikhov’s last win came six starts back in the San Francisco Mile (G3) on April 29. Although winless since then, he has competed well in a series of graded turf stakes at distances of 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles.

A winner of three stakes from 14 stateside stakes starts with D’Amato, Balnikhov is 22: 6-5-3 overall with earnings of $664,343.

Most recently second, beaten 1 3/4 lengths going five furlongs on turf in Del Mar’s Stormy Liberal Stakes on Dec. 2, D’Amato’s Irish-bred Turn On The Jets gives the stable a powerful one-two punch. A first-condition allowance winner going five furlongs on turf in his U.S. debut nine starts back in August 2022, this 4-year-old gelding subsequently was a close second and third in a pair of second-condition hillside allowances at Santa Anita in October and November of 2022 and thus will be making his third career hillside appearance on Saturday.

Turn on the Jets, who can make or press the early lead if need-be, will be reunited with Juan Hernandez, who has won with him twice from six engagements.

Winless but close in his five Southern California starts, four of them stakes, Mark Glatt’s Irish-bred I’m A Gambler has shown an affinity for the hillside course in his last start and rates a huge chance with Frankie Dettori taking over for the first time.

Fourth, beaten one length down the hill in the Eddie D Stakes (G2) two starts back on Sept. 30, I’m A Gambler was most recently fifth, beaten 1 1/4 lengths down the hill in a classified allowance Oct. 29, a race in which he was off at odds of 2-1 in a field of eight.

A winner of nine of his 24 starts in England and Ireland, I’m A Gambler, a 4-year-old gelding, is 29: 9-4-3 overall with earnings of $312,695.