Santa Anita news: Flagstaff brings 'high-class form' to Palos Verdes
Flagstaff, a gem of consistency sprinting where he has never been out of the money in eight tries, worked five furlongs yesterday in a bullet 59.40 for Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes at six furlongs.
“He looked super,” trainer John Sadler said of the six-year-old gelded son of 2004 Eclipse Award winner as outstanding male sprinter Speightstown. Flagstaff had Victor Espinoza aboard for the drill and will retain his services in the Palos Verdes.
“The horse has high-class form and he’s good to go," Sadler added. "He doesn’t have a bad race on his record.”
The only time Flagstaff was worse than third came in a one-mile overnight race at Del Mar Sept. 3, 2018, when he finished ninth, coming out of the race with an injury to a hind ankle.
Among the 10 nominated to the Palos Verdes, streaking Threefiveindia is among those expected to face Flagstaff. Abel Cedillo has the mount for Peter Miller on the seven-year-old gelded son of Street Hero, winner of his last three starts since being claimed for $40,000 on Sept. 19, 2019 at Los Alamitos.
Threefiveindia’s subsequent victories have come at Santa Anita, Del Mar and Laurel.
Brill Cream of Crop in in Monday's Megahertz
Mike Smith is looking forward to being back aboard Brill in Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday feature, the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes at a mile on turf.
The ever-young 54-year-old Hall of Fame member rode the four-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro to a front-running 1 ¾-length victory in the Lady of Shamrock Stakes at a mile in her first start on grass Dec. 28.
“I’ve always thought a lot of her,” Smith said. “The Lady of Shamrock was a breakout race for her, I thought, so we’re hoping grass is what did it. She was well within herself and if she runs like she did last time, she’ll be tough.”
Brill is trained by Don Chatlos for owners OXO Equine, LLC.
The Megahertz, race seven of eight with a 12:30 p.m. first post time:
1. Carressa, Victor Espinoza, 5-1
2. Take These Chains, Umberto Rispoli 8-1
3. Keeper Ofthe Stars, Abel Cedillo, 7-2
4. Tonahutu, Andrea Atzeni, 15-1
5. Streak of Luck, Jose Valdivia Jr., 15-1
6. Brill, Mike Smith, 3-1
7. La Sardane, Flavien Prat, 6-1
8. Super Patriot, Joel Rosario, 5-2
FINISH LINES: Rafael Bejarano, dealing with lingering effects from a head injury that occurred in a jockeys’ room shower mishap Friday, took off his mounts Sunday for the second straight day and likely will not ride tomorrow, either. “With head issues we want to err on the side of caution and give him a few days to get back to 100 percent,” said his agent, Tora Yamaguchi . . .
Brazilian-bred Ghoul, who closed like a monster to win a 5 ½ furlong turf sprint Dec. 29 under the meet’s leading rider Joel Rosario, returns for trainer Peter Miller in next Sunday’s $70,000 Clockers’ Corner Stakes for four-year-olds and up at the same distance . . .
Cistron, preparing for a 2020 campaign, worked four furlongs this morning in 48.60 with exercise rider Jose Alvarez up, galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.80. “The horse is on the comeback trail and a bit away from a race but looked great,” trainer John Sadler said. Ollie’s Candy, pointing to the Grade I Beholder Mile March 14, worked three furlongs for Sadler on the training track in 37.20 . . .
Triple Crown hopeful American Theorem breezed four furlongs for George Papaprodromou in 50.40, while Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and Eclipse Award finalist Storm the Court went five furlongs in company with Ekklesia, getting clockings of 1:00.20 and 1:01.20, respectively. Flavien Prat was aboard Storm the Court. In all, there were 171 recorded workouts Sunday, 31 on the training track . . .
Trainer Dean Pederson said Fashionably Fast, who captured the Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint at six furlongs yesterday for his fifth straight victory, came out of the race in good order and “ate up good, was all bright-eyed and proud of himself this morning as he deserved to be,” adding the son of Lucky Pulpit could stretch out for his next race in the $100,000 Tiznow at one mile on March 1 . . .
Merneith, a 3-year-old daughter of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, makes her debut in Monday’s first race for Bob Baffert. A $600,000 purchase from the Ocala sales last March, the bay filly drew the rail—as Baffert seems to do with mystifying regularity—in the 6 ½ furlong race. She is Jon White’s 6-5 morning line favorite . . .
XBTV’s Jeff Siegel will be Tom Quigley’s guest 11:20 a.m. Monday in the XBTV studio . . .
Trainer Hector Olvera Palma is one shy of career victory 1,200, holding at 1,199. He has two horses entered today, 6-1 Norski in the fifth race and 8-1 Start a Runnin in the eighth . . . MONDAY IS DOLLAR DAY AT SANTA ANITA, WITH ONE DOLLAR BEERS, SODAS AND TWO DOLLAR HOT DOGS.