Sword Dancer Invitational S. (G1) winner KING’S DRAMA (Ire) (King’s Theatre
[Ire]) will make his six-year-old debut in Sunday’s $150,000 San Luis Obispo H.
(G2) at Santa Anita. The 122-pound highweight in the 10-horse field, the Bobby
Frankel-trained gelding will make his first appearance since recording an
unplaced finish abroad in the Japan Cup (Jpn-G1). He captured the Red Smith H.
(G2) prior to that and also finished second by a neck in the Man o’ War S. (G1)
last year.
San Juan Capistrano Invitational H. (G2) victor T.H. APPROVAL (With Approval)
will return off a lengthy layoff in the 1 1/2-mile turf event. Unraced since a
close second in July’s Sunset Breeders’ Cup H. (G2), the gray five-year-old
placed third in the 2005 San Luis Obispo. The Eduardo Inda runner will get a
rider switch to Alex Solis.
The Neil Drysdale-trained AUBONNE (Ger) (Monsun) owns plenty of back class
and will tackle males on Saturday. The six-year-old mare exits a nice score over
the course in the La Zanzara H., her first stakes success since capturing a
French Group 3 in 2004. Knickerbocker H. (G3) hero ATLANDO (Ire) (Hernando [Fr])
is another top contender. The French stakes winner captured his U.S. bow in that
Grade 3 event last October and then shipped west to finish second in the San
Gabriel H. (G2) at Santa Anita on New Year’s Day. The Darrell Vienna trainee
will attempt to improve off a fourth in the San Marcos S. (G2) most recently.
In post parade order, the contestants, riders and weights are BULLISTIC (Holy
Bull), David Flores, 111; FANTASTIC SPAIN (Fantastic Fellow), Corey Nakatani,
113; BALUSTRADE (Green Dancer), Javier Santiago, 111; BOUTHAN (Fr) (Sadler’s
Wells), Jose Valdivia Jr., 113; T.H. Approval, 116; Atlando, Martin Pedroza,
115; King’s Drama, Patrick Valenzuela, 122; MODERN ERA (Aus) (Marscay), Tyler
Baze, 111; CLIPPERDOWN (Ire) (Green Desert), Jon Court, 112; and Aubonne, Victor
Espinoza, 110.