If not the horse to beat, Tapizar is clearly the one to catch at Santa Anita
Saturday when he squares off against seven rivals in the Grade 2, $150,000
San
Fernando Stakes for four-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles.
“He’s very fast, and they’re going to have to pick up their feet to beat
him,” jockey Corey Nakatani said of the Winchell Thoroughbreds’ homebred son of
Tapit.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Tapizar turned in an impressive performance at
Santa Anita 12 months ago when wiring the Grade 3 Sham Stakes for
three-year-olds. He received a field-best 103 BRIS Speed rating for the 4
1/4-length decision, but the bay colt raced only once more before heading to the
sidelines for an extended vacation.
Tapizar returned from a lengthy layoff with a sharp score over optional
claiming rivals at Belmont Park on October 8, and will be making his first start
Saturday since a fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs on
November 5. Nakatani, who was up for the optional claiming score two back, has
also guided Tapizar through a pair of recent six-furlong workouts in Arcadia,
California.
The venerable San Fernando serves as a stepping stone to Santa Anita’s
historic Grade 2 Strub Stakes for four-year-olds on February 4 as well as the
Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 3.
Prayer for Relief, a three-time derby winner in 2011 for Hall of Fame trainer
Bob Baffert, is a top challenger. The dark bay son of Jump Start reeled off
consecutive wins in the Grade 3 Iowa Derby, Grade 2 West Virginia Derby and
Grade 2 Super Derby before missing by less than one length in the Oklahoma
Derby. He has been freshened off a ninth in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at
Churchill Downs on November 25.
Rafael Bejarano, aboard for Prayer for Relief’s last five starts, has the
return assignment. Prayer for Relief has already earned more than $1 million
from his 10-5-1-1 career line and the colt will be forced to spot each of his
rivals five pounds as the 123-pound high weight.
Irish Art, runner-up to Mr. Commons in the Grade 2 Sir Beaufort Stakes on
December 26, will be racing on dirt for the first time. Joel Rosario has the
call for trainer Carla Gaines. Balladry is coming off a pair of solid efforts in
allowance competition, including a 2 3/4-length win over Santa Anita’s main
track on October 28. Joe Talamo rides the gray Eoin Harty pupil.
Rounding out the San Fernando field is multiple Grade 1-placed Riveting
Reason; dual Grade 3-placed Dreaminofthewin; Spud Spivens, who exits a third in
the On Trust Handicap; and First Strike, who captured the December 3 Zia Park
Derby after being claimed for $40,000 two starts back.