Santa Anita: San Juan Capistrano draws field of 8

The 86th running of Santa Anita's traditional closing-day feature, the Grade 3, $100,000 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at about 1 3/4 miles on turf, will help close the curtain on the track's spring meet Sunday.

The day’s highlights also include mandatory payouts in all pari-mutuel pools.

In the San Juan Capistrano, a field of eight includes three for trainer Jonathan Thomas. Leading the trio is the mare Mrs. Astor, a multiple graded-stakes winner who is cross-entered in Saturday’s Possibly Perfect Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on turf.

Mrs. Astor, 5-year-old daughter of Lookin at Lucky, most recently rolled by five lengths in the 1 1/2-mile Santa Barbara Stakes for fillies and mares on May 4 at Santa Anita. She previously won the Robert J. Frankel (G3) in December at Santa Anita and Red Carpet (G3) at Del Mar in November. A homebred for George Strawbridge’s Augustin Stable, Mrs. Astor is 18: 5-3-3 with $435,235 in earnings. She’ll have regular rider Umberto Rispoli aboard, whether in the San Juan Capistrano or the Possibly Perfect.

Balladeer set the pace in the Charles Whittingham (G2) at 1 1/4 miles May 3 and could not hold off the closers to be beaten by 1 1/4 lengths in a game effort. Trainer George Papaprodromou will take blinkers off Balladeer for the San Juan Capistrano. Owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey C. Tran, the 6-year-old horse by Distorted Humor is 27: 4-2-2 with $466,290 in earnings. Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux again will be aboard Balladeer after riding him for the first time in the Whittingham.

Divin Propos, trained by Phil D’Amato, is back at Santa Anita seeking a graded-stakes breakthrough. On May 17, the 5-year-old gelding by George Vancouver shipped to Pimlico and finished fourth in the Dinner Party (G3) going 1 1/8 miles. Owned by Madaket Stables and Panic Stable, Divin Propos has been limited to minor shares in five consecutive graded stakes. He started his career in his native France and has an overall record of 15: 4-3-5 with $178,918 in earnings. Ricky Gonzalez has the call on Divin Propos.