Santa Anita: Motorious leads overflow Joe Hernandez field

Three horses that all ran in separate Breeders’ Cup races – Motorious, Imagination and Gas Me Up – will meet next Monday in the Grade 2, $200,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course. That trio is among an overflow field of 15 signed on for the about 6 1/2-furlong sprint on Santa Anita’s unique hillside layout.

Motorious, trained by Phil D’Amato, seeks a repeat in the Joe Hernandez after winning last year’s edition in a thriller. On Breeders’ Cup Saturday Nov. 1 at Del Mar, the 7-year-old gelding finished fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. On the same day at Del Mar, Imagination ran second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint for trainer Bob Baffert. The 4-year-old colt by Into Mischief has never raced on turf. As for Gas Me Up, he ran in the Breeders’ Cup Mile and finished seventh. The 5-year-old Hard Spun gelding was saddled by Kevin Attard that day but is now again conditioned by trainer Peter Eurton, who previously had Gas Me Up at the start of his career.

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Motorious is owned by Anthony Fanticola and has a record of 24: 10-5-2 with $987,604 in earnings. Imagination is owned by the extensive ownership group of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stable and partners. He is 14: 3-6-2 with $943,700 in earnings. Gas Me Up has a record of 10: 4-1-1 with $370,162 in earnings for owners Exline-Border Racing, Michael Jawl, Aaron Kennedy et al.

Motorious, Imagination and Gas Me Up will have no shortage of serious contenders to deal with once the field gathers atop the hill and enters the starting gate.

El Potente is a Grade 3 winner for Dan Blacker who’ll be shortening up in distance for his second start following a 10-month layoff. On Nov. 29 at Del Mar, the 6-year-old horse by Temple City returned from the sidelines in the Seabiscuit (G2) at one mile on turf. Sent off the 9-5 favorite, El Potente set a pressured pace before grudgingly giving way late to finish third by three-quarters of a length. He is campaigned by My Way Racing and has an overall record of 15: 6-2-3 with $272,796 in earnings.

Also in the main body of the field for D’Amato are Unconquerable Keen and Sorrento Sky.

Unconquerable Keen most recently returned from a nearly seven-month layoff Nov. 30 and scored in the Stormy Liberal going five furlongs on turf at Del Mar. The 6-year-old gelding enters with a record of 24: 8-2-6 with $449,129 in earnings. He is campaigned by CYBT, Omar Aldabbagh and Michael Nentwig.

Sorrento Sky, who shares similar ownership as Unconquerable Keen, finished a neck back of his stablemate in third in the Stormy Liberal. The 4-year-old colt by Prince of Lir has hit the board in 12 of 15 starts but is still seeking a first stakes win. His record is 15: 4-3-5 with $256,838 in earnings.