Wilkinson, who pulled off a stunning upset of the Grade 2 American Handicap
in his most recent appearance, will make his first start since that Memorial Day
feature in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000
Daytona
at Santa Anita. The about 6 1/2-furlong turf dash tops a trio of stakes at The
Great Race Place and is the penultimate graded event on the 2012 calendar.
Increasingly a non-factor against stakes foes in the eastern half of the
country while residing in the barn of Neil Howard, Wilkinson struck gold in the
one-mile American at Hollywood Park in his debut for trainer Jeff Mullins. Under
Martin Pedroza, the four-year-old Lemon Drop Kid colt rated closer to the pace
than usual, bid for the lead at the top of the stretch, and drew off to win by 1
1/4 lengths at odds of 44-1.
Wilkinson was preparing for the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile in June when he
underwent emergency colic surgery. Having trained swiftly for many weeks, he
will be reunited Saturday with Pedroza for his first sprint attempt in some
time.
Grade 1 veteran Comma to the Top could top the $1 million mark in career
earnings with a victory in the Daytona. The Bwana Charlie gelding has won twice
in five turf attempts, but has gone unplaced in both prior starts over the Santa
Anita turf.
Trainer Steve Asmussen sends out Great Mills, who enters off a fourth in the
Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. The War Front colt is a multiple stakes
winner, but has had to settle for minor checks in a number of the leading turf
sprints stakes in the eastern half of the country.
The three-year-old filly Byrama has won or placed in all six starts over the
Santa Anita turf. Victorious in the September 29 Unzip Me over fillies and mares
at the Daytona course and distance, she rallied from 10 lengths down to miss by
less than a length in the Grade 3 Senator Ken Maddy three weeks later.
Also of note in the Daytona are Red Sun, winner of the one-mile Lure on
October 28, and course-and-distance specialists Ain’t No Other,
Circa’sgoldengear and Clubhouse Ride. Grade 2 Pat O’Brien winner Capital Account
is also likely to attract a fair amount of play, but enters the Daytona without
any prior turf experience.
Ten juveniles were entered for the $75,000
Eddie
Logan over one mile on the turf, with Grade 3 Generous runner-up Rising
Legend and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Preview hero Gabriel Charles the
leading candidates.
Eight fillies and mares will sprint 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track in the
$75,000
Kalookan Queen Handicap. Notables include 2011 Grade 1 La Brea heroine
Teddy’s Promise, 2011 Grade 2 Raven Run winner Great Hot, and multiple Santa
Anita allowance winner Pink Lollipops.
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