Grade 2 winner CONTINENTAL RED (Flying Continental) will make his third start
of the year on Saturday when he takes on seven rivals in the $150,000 San Luis
Obispo H. (G2) over Santa Anita’s turf. The nine-year-old veteran has competed
in the 1 1/2-mile test since 2002, with that being the year he recorded his best
finish, runner-up by a neck. Last year, the Ian Jory-trained gelding ran third
by a nose and enters this edition off a close fourth-place run in the Sunshine
Millions Turf.
Among those Continental Red will face on Saturday are Grade 3 winner SPECIAL
MATTER (River Special), second in last year’s San Luis Obispo, and Group 1
victor LICENSE TO RUN (Brz) (Exile King), third in December’s Hollywood Turf Cup
S. (G1).
GORYLLA (Brz) (New Colony), who was named 2003 champion older horse in
Brazil, will lead the field to the gate under a 113-pound impost, including
jockey Jon Court. Next in line will be Special Matter, Tyler Baze, 114;
Continental Red, Gary Stevens, 116; License to Run, Pat Valenzuela, 115;
CALIFORNIAN (GB) (Zafonic), Modesto Linares, 109; BALUSTRADE (Green Dancer),
Victor Espinoza, 113; T. H. APPROVAL (With Approval), Rene Douglas, 113; and
SIGFRETO (Spunky Rascal), Omar Figueroa, 111.