Santa Anita news: Ransom the Moon to head Sprint Championship
Multiple Grade 1 winner Ransom the Moon was scheduled to run in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel on Sept. 22, but Hurricane Florence washed out those plans.
Now the 6-year-old Malibu Moon horse trained by Phil D’Amato is pointing to this Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs.
“He was supposed to run at Laurel but they canceled the races that weekend because of the hurricane, so we elected to stay here and run in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship,” D’Amato said.
Ransom the Moon has a 6-7-1 record from 24 starts with earnings of $848,829. The Santa Anita Sprint Championship not only is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” event, giving the winner a fees-paid berth to the Sprint on Nov. 3, but it also carries $300,000 in purse money with $180,000 going to the winner. Should Ransom the Moon win, he would thus become a millionaire.
“He’ll probably breeze on Monday because rain is forecast for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, so I don’t expect there will be much training,” D’Amato said.
Also likely for the Sprint Championship are Roy H, Paco Lopez, and Horse Greedy, Stewart Elliott, with Edwards Going Left as a possibility. Edwards Going Left worked five furlongs Sunday in a bullet 58.80, fastest of 105 drills at the distance.
HOLLENDORFER MULLING BREEDERS’ CUP FOR VASILIKA
Despite winning her seventh straight race and her most impressive and important since being claimed for $40,000 last Feb. 11, Jerry Hollendorfer had no firm decision Sunday morning on whether Vasilika would be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
“It’s $100,000 (to nominate), but that covers your entry fee and everything, so we have to do a lot of homework on that race for her, because most of the horses coming in are European used to going that distance (1 3/8 miles),” Hollendorfer said, less than 24 hours after Vasilika had won the “Win and You’re In” Rodeo Drive Stakes by a half-length under a heady ride by Flavien Prat.
“I hesitate to run our horse if it was a soft turf course, and it might likely be soft (at Churchill Downs in early November).”
FINISH LINES: Trainer Simon Callaghan reported that Bellafina, 6 ½-length winner of Saturday’s Chandelier Stakes as the 9-10 favorite, came out of her race “really good,” as did runner-up Vibrance and runner-up Paved in the Rodeo Drive for Michael McCarthy. “I’m really proud of both of them,” the trainer said . . . Fashion Business, 2-1 morning line favorite for today’s John Henry Turf Championship, was scratched due to a “minor setback,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. His next race is yet “to be determined.” . . . With rain in the forecast, there were 228 recorded works at Santa Anita Sunday including 24 on the training track . . . Drayden Van Dyke has been suspended Oct. 6, 7 and 8 for causing interference aboard Captivate in Friday’s eighth race, resulting in a disqualification from first to second. Ruben Fuentes has been suspended the same three days for causing interference to Gray Admiral in Friday’s first race, resulting in a DQ from first to fourth on the 40-1 outsider.