Sunday's Previews
The Racing Club's Finding Ways returns rapidly to action and is among the highlights of another extremely competitive afternoon of racing at Hastings
The Racing Club’s FINDING WAYS takes some class relief here while making a rapid return to action after weakening behind Cascade Billy and co just last weekend. A repeat of his previous effort, when a neck second to Set to Shine, would give him a leading chance in what is a very tight-looking opener. BACK SHACK makes his first appearance for new connections since being claimed when second to Ave’s in Command two weeks ago and he renews rivalry with RACING RIVER, who finished just behind him that day. Fellow Henson inmate STAR ENTRY has been off since July, when he was only a head behind BACK SHACK, and beat the same opponent when winning in June.
SHE’S KIND OF HOT may not have enjoyed the sloppy conditions behind KIKIS LOVE OF LIFE and the fast-finishing MAX BOOSTER last time. She may be better judged on her comfortable ‘win’ the race before when easily accounting for her rivals before falling foul of the stewards. A repeat of that effort would make her the one to beat. Leading rider Amadeo Perez takes the mount on debutante RED RUSSEL who, interestingly, is a half-brother to the multiple Stakes winner We B Three and certainly shouldn’t be overlooked in what may not be the strongest maiden.
GROOVIN’ IS BAK returns to the same level and distance at which he won in July, when he had today’s rival STANFORD NORTH just behind. The runner-up then franked the form by winning next time and he makes his first appearance for new connections after being claimed last time when trailing home on a sloppy track. HIGHLINER enjoyed the class drop last time, going gate-to-wire to beat subsequent winner Duke Girls, and a repeat of that would give him every chance here. Apart from an unsuccessful adventure over the long course two starts ago, DON W has been the model of consistency all year and he should be thereabouts again here.
LICORICE bravely fought off all challengers, including the tenacious frontrunner LOLA M, when beating MARYS TAPPIN SHOES and Dreamb last time and a repeat of that effort will make her hard to get by. DREAMB launched her challenge from somewhere out near Burnaby to be closest at the finish behind Licorice and looks the biggest danger to her rival. BAKBURNER never looked to be travelling comfortably when a disappointing favourite behind Licorice but has some solid form from earlier in the year, including a valuable Allowance contest, and shouldn’t be overlooked.
MISS THE HYPE returns to this level for the first time since rattling off two wins at the end of last season and the beginning of this one. She’s a versatile sort who seems equally efficient going long or short and a repeat of her most recent effort over the mile-and-sixteenth trip would see her go close here. PINEAPPLE TIDBITS was given a lot to do behind a muddling pace last time and did well to get up for third. That effort came on the back of two wins and she should be in the mix again here if the pace is strong enough. After going close on several occasions, ICE BREAKER finally got her head in front in August when beating two subsequent winners in what was a solid performance.
BRIAN’S DE LEIGHT has made merry since dropping down to this level and he lines-up here on a hat-trick following two solid wins. BAK TO LIBERTY’s sole victory at this distance came back in July in arguably tougher company than he faces here. His recent sloppy ground effort in the CTHS Sales Stakes can probably be ignored and he is better judged on the race previous, when splitting Stay Fantastic and Logical Al. A repeat of that would put him firmly in the mix. Y VEE R ran his best race of the season to win first time off the claim over this distance just a week ago and returns here after being immediately reclaimed by former connections. A repeat of that effort could be enough if he’s fully recovered from last week’s exploits.
SHAMRA ran well for a long way on her September return to action following a lengthy layoff and she drops on to the bottom rung for the first time in a career that saw her land three valuable contests last season. She split Daphne and Solarity back in May and anything remotely close to that would be good enough to get the job done. It took her a while to find her feet, but MISS ACCELERATE lines-up on a hat-trick on the back of two solid wins in similar company and she should be in the mix again if able to repeat the standard. PENALTY TO RANGERS missed out agonizingly on sloppy ground last time when chasing a hat-trick of her own. She should appreciate the better going and remains a live threat.
Lisa & Mike’s Sunday Selections
Statistics
Straight No Chaser, Fort Bragg Headline Sunday’s GII, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship
ARCADIA, CA (Sept. 26, 2024)—Graded-stakes winners Straight No Chaser and Fort Bragg, each coming off a layoff, lead a field of seven entered in Sunday’s Grade II, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship presented by Estrella Jalisco going six furlongs.
Straight No Chaser, winner of last year’s Grade III Maryland Sprint at Pimlico, will be making his first start in 4 ½ months for trainer Dan Blacker. When last seen on May 11, Santa Anita-based Straight No Chaser was at Aqueduct to contest the GIII Runhappy Stakes going six furlongs. Sent off the 3-5 favorite, Straight No Chaser stumbled at the start, was then hustled to the front and led inside the final furlong before getting overhauled and finishing fourth.
The Runhappy was Straight No Chaser’s first start after nearly a year layoff. The 5-year-old Speightster horse has worked five times since Aug. 25, which includes a bullet five-furlong drill in 59.80 seconds last Saturday. Owned by My Racehorse, Straight No Chaser is 8: 4-0-1 with $256,300 in earnings. He will be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, who was also aboard for the Runhappy and the Maryland Sprint win.
Fort Bragg, trained by Bob Baffert, has been sidelined since finishing sixth in last December’s GI Malibu Stakes going seven furlongs at Santa Anita. The 4-year-old Tapit colt’s lone graded win came in last year’s GIII Dwyer Stakes going a mile at Belmont Park.
Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables et al, Fort Bragg is 12: 3-2-3 with $414,800 in earnings. He finished third in last year’s Santa Anita Sprint Championship behind winner Dr. Schivel. Fort Bragg He will be ridden by Juan Hernandez.
For All Mankind makes his U.S. stakes debut for trainer John Sadler. On Aug. 10 at Del Mar, For All Mankind returned from a 15-month layoff and dominated an allowance field going 5 ½ furlongs on the main track. It was the 5-year-old Into Mischief gelding’s first start on dirt. All eight of his previous starts—one in the U.S. and seven in France—came on turf or synthetic.
Owned by Hronis Racing, For All Mankind is 9: 3-2-2 with $101,892 in earnings. He will be ridden by Hector Berrios for the first time.
THE GII SANTA ANITA SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 9 of 10 Approximate post time 5 p.m.
Fort Bragg – Juan Hernandez – 122
Mbagnick – Tyler Baze – 122
See Through It – Tiago Pereira – 122
Roll On Big Joe – Edwin Maldonado – 122
Straight No Chaser – John Velazquez – 122
Neiman – Armando Ayuso – 122
For All Mankind – Hector Berrios - 122
First post for a 10 race card Sunday is 1 p.m. Admission gates open at 11:00 a.m. For more information please visit www.santaanita.com.