San Antonio

LUNDY’S LIABILITY (Brz) (Candy Stripes) heads a field of 11 entered in
Sunday’s $250,000 San Antonio H. (G2), a nine-furlong event run over the Santa
Anita dirt. We’ll try to beat the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) hero with TOTAL IMPACT
(Chi) (Stuka), who is due for a win after coming up short in his last
five races, all of which were graded.

Trained by Laura de Seroux, Total
Impact won the prestigious Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) last year and finished the
season with an exhausting trip
to Japan for the Japan Cup Dirt (Jpn-G1), in which the chestnut had the lead
but faded with a quarter of a mile to go, finishing a respectable fourth. The
seven-year-old’s only start this year came in the San Pasqual H. (G2), where he
ran second to another contender in this field, CONGRATS (A.P. Indy). This
was an encouraging performance, however, as he had been off since his trip to
the Far East and may have needed a race.

Lundy’s Liability is one-half of an uncoupled duo for trainer Bobby Frankel.
The bay has missed the board only twice in his seven-race career, winning four
starts, including the U.A.E. Derby as well
as the Goodwood Breeders’ Cup H. (G2). Lundy’s Liability battled neck and neck throughout
that one with our top selection before prevailing by a head. Frankel brought the five-year-old back in the Clark H. (G2) at Churchill Downs
to finish his 2004 campaign, where he finished sixth after being bumped at the
start. Watch out for him in his 2005 bow.

TRULY A JUDGE (Judge T C) enters here off a three-race win streak, the last two
coming in the Native Diver H. (G3) and the San Gabriel H. (G3). Trained by David
Bernstein, the seven-year-old appears to be in the best form of his career and
we’ll have to use the dark bay in the exotics.

Recently switched to the Richard Mandella barn, Congrats was much the best in
the San Pasqual. That race was over a sloppy track, however, and the
five-year-old may have had an added advantage there. Still, with earnings just
shy of $500,000, we’ll use this dependable bay in the gimmicks.

STAR CROSS (Arg) (Southern Halo) won the San Pasqual last year and ran second
to Pleasantly Perfect in that year’s San Antonio H. (G2). More recently, the
eight-year-old finished second in the San Gabriel to Truly a Judge, and we think
the chestnut needed that race after more than a seven-month layoff. We’ll use
him in the bottom of the exotics. 

Frankel also sends out EPICENTRE (Kris S.), who will try the dirt for the
first time in his career. The six-year-old has seen most of his success on the
grass and we have to pick against here.

ASONG FOR BILLY (Unbridled’s Song) has been off for nearly two months and
appears outclassed. OUTTA HERE (Dehere) had a nice freshener before this one,
taking an optional claiming event over this same course and distance, but the
five-year-old is moving up in class as well and appears ambitiously placed.

John Sadler will saddle SKUKUZA (Lord Avie), who has three wins in a row
from just five lifetime starts. The gelding makes a jump in class here and
we’ll have to watch this lightly-raced five-year-old. GO BOB (Arg) (Bordeaux
Bob) makes his U.S. debut here and we’ll let him beat us in his first try
stateside.

CASTLEDALE (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) will be scratched after running in
Saturday’s Strub S. (G2).