The Lumber Guy My Miss Aurelia highlight Santa Anita
opener
Santa Anita gets off to a fast start on Wednesday, offering a pair of
appealing Grade 1 events for three-year-olds, the $300,000
Malibu and
$300,000 La
Brea. Both races will be contested at seven furlongs.
Grade 1 Vosburgh winner The Lumber Guy, a fast-closing second in the
Breeders’ Cup Sprint, tops a deep cast of 10 in the Malibu. John Velazquez will
be in to ride the Grand Slam colt, who has been transferred from Michael Hushion
to Neil Drysdale, and the gray should appreciate the added furlong here.
Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint runner-up Unbridled’s Note looms as a potential major
adversary and a quartet from the Bob Baffert stable, including Fed Biz and
Drill, add further intrigue.
The La Brea features a potential standout in two-year-old filly champion My
Miss Aurelia, who gamely defeated Questing in the Grade 1 Cotillion two back.
The Steve Asmussen trainee performed admirably while sustaining her first career
setback last time, a runner-up effort to champion Royal Delta in the Breeders’
Cup Ladies’ Classic, and My Miss Aurelia will face six rivals on Wednesday.
The Lumber Guy opened his racing career with a pair of impressive victories
earlier this year before suffering his first defeat in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial
at 1 1/8 miles. He rebounded to easily take the Grade 2 Jerome at a mile, but
once again found the nine-furlong distance too taxing when registering a sixth
in the Grade 2 Peter Pan next out. The New York-bred cut back in distance for
his next two outings, rallying to take the six-furlong Vosburgh by 1 1/4 lengths
before his excellent Sprint effort, and the speed-favoring track played against
the stalker last time, with The Lumber Guy quickly gaining on the speedy
Trinniberg before falling less than a length short on the wire.
Unbridled’s Note has made his last two starts on turf, capturing the Grade 3
Eddie D. two back, but the Asmussen charge is a multiple winner on dirt and
posted a close third in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at the seven-furlong distance
three back.
Stakes winner Fed Biz, who sustained his first loss in his third attempt over
the Santa Anita main track when eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, is
eligible to show much more with new jockey Mike Smith, and Grade 1 hero Drill is
three for three at the distance, including a nice win in the Grade 3 Lazaro
Barrera Memorial last out. Drill will be returning from a 228-day layoff with
regular rider Martin Garcia. Baffert will also send out Grade 3 winner Castaway,
who returns from a lengthy freshening, and Belmont allowance victor Guilt Trip,
who will be making his first start for the Hall of Fame conditioner.
Other Malibu contenders include Jimmy Creed, a close third in the Grade 1
Santa Anita Sprint Championship two back and a rebound candidate for Richard
Mandella following a ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint; Private Zone, who exits
a pair of sharp runner-up efforts for Doug O’Neill in the Grade 3 Vernon O.
Underwood and Damascus; Damascus winner Politicallycorrect; and recent allowance
scorer Basmati.
My Miss Aurelia won all four starts in 2011, including a smashing victory in
the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, but got off to a belated beginning this
year, returning to the races with an easy score at Saratoga. She returned to
graded stakes company in the September 22 Cotillion, overhauling an in-form
Questing in deep stretch for a head victory, and rallied late in the Ladies’
Classic, finishing 1 1/2 lengths behind her top-class rival. She takes a step
down the class ladder in the La Brea with Corey Nakatani.
Two-time Grade 1 runner-up Reneesgotzip recorded a fine third in the
Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and exits a narrow score in the off-the-turf Skillful
Joy over Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track. The chestnut faces a tall task in this
spot, but she appears to be in career-best form for Peter Miller. Multiple
stakes winner Book Review, who will make her first attempt for Baffert, is also
entered.
Santa Anita will also offer the Grade 2, $150,000
Sir
Beaufort, a one-mile turf affair for three-year-olds, on its opening-day
program. Grade 2 Twilight Derby third-placer Smart Ellis is a likely favorite in
the eight-horse field.
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