San Gabriel

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

As much as we’d like to see the ever-popular LAVA MAN (Slew City Slew) make a
winning comeback from retirement in Sunday’s $150,000 San Gabriel H. (G2) at
Santa Anita, our head has to rule our heart in this spot. The Doug O’Neill
veteran is being asked to go nine grassy furlongs against a solid field, and
he’s entitled to get tired when push comes to shove in his first start in 17
months. Instead, we’ll side with the classy import LOUP BRETON (Ire) (Anabaa) in
his U.S. stakes debut.

A Wildenstein Stable homebred with a typically strong pedigree, Loup Breton
was a French Group 2 winner with a smattering of Group 1 form, and those
credentials make him very attractive at this level. Earlier this season, the
five-year-old finished second in the Prix Ganay (Fr-G1) to Vision D’Etat (Chichicastenango),
who went on to capture the Prince of Wales’s S. (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot and most
recently the Hong Kong Cup (HK-G1). Loup Breton failed to duplicate that effort
in his last two starts in France, where he reportedly bled, and he was
subsequently shipped to Southern California. The bay could not have been more
impressive in his American bow for Julio Canani, rallying from last to win a
Hollywood Park allowance going away by 1 3/4 lengths. Although Loup Breton may
not get the same pace set-up Sunday, he just looks too good to oppose with
Garrett Gomez back in the saddle.

Defending champion PROUDINSKY (Ger) (Silvano [Ger]) figures to move forward
off his sneakily-good fourth in the Citation H. (G1), his reappearance from a
five-month layoff for Humberto Ascanio. The longtime Bobby Frankel charge, who
was runner-up in the 2007 San Gabriel, boasts strong marks at both the course
(3-2-1-0) and distance (10-4-2-1), and he promises to get first run on Loup
Breton. We won’t be surprised if Proudinsky runs right up to his best when
reuniting with Rafael Bejarano, the engineer of his 2008 San Gabriel score.

ACCLAMATION (Unusual Heat), the lone three-year-old in the field, merits
respect off his third-place efforts in the Hollywood Derby (G1) and Del Mar
Derby (G2). The California-bred threw in a clunker in his only prior start on
Santa Anita’s turf, fading to seventh in the Oak Tree Derby (G2) after being
embroiled in a sizzling pace, but shouldn’t be so compromised here. Whether as
the controlling speed, or as a close stalker, Acclamation is eligible to hang
tough through the stretch for David Flores. He also gets in with 113 pounds, six
fewer than his principal older rivals.

Lava Man was a dominating figure on the circuit in his heyday, winning three
straight runnings of the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1), two editions of the Santa
Anita H. (G1) and a Pacific Classic (G1). The versatile gelding proved that he
could transfer his ability to the grass when rolling in the Charles Whittingham
Memorial H. (G1) and Sunshine Millions Turf S. After a lackluster 2008, however,
Lava Man was retired, and although he has responded beautifully to treatment
with his own stem cells, it remains to be seen whether he can return to his
stellar form of old. On the plus side, the eight-year-old has been training
sharply, but we’ll give him a race off the shelf.

SIR DAVE (Untuttable) has done well on occasion over longer distances, and he
has played second fiddle to the tough Spring House (Chester House) in the Del
Mar H. (G2) and Golden Gate Fields Turf (G3). While we’ll give the Jack Carava
charge a pass for being eased in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon on the Pro-Ride,
we’re not convinced that he can handle this bunch at this distance. Still, Sir
Dave is qualified to crack the superfecta with one of his better efforts.

CHEROKEE ARTIST (Cherokee Run), who has been plying his trade on synthetic
surfaces, finally broke through with his first stakes win in the Presque Isle
Mile S. last out in September. We love the connections (Graham Motion and Jeremy
Rose), but Cherokee Artist’s only previous turf attempt was a debacle, and we’d
prefer to watch him on the surface before endorsing. GREAT SIEGE (Ire) (Rock of
Gibraltar [Ire]) has had his hands full in allowance/optional claiming company
and could find the class hike too difficult.