Goldencents, Secret Circle head Santa Anita Sprint

Dirt Mile hero Goldencents will attempt to improve upon a runner-up finish in last year’s Santa Anita Sprint (Breeders’ Cup Ltd.)

Goldencents and Secret Circle proved successful in last year’s Breeders’ Cup,
winning the Dirt Mile and Sprint, respectively, but the Sprint is the target for
both horses this year. They will meet first in Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000
Santa Anita
Sprint Championship.

Goldencents proved to be a spectacular winner of the 2013 Dirt Mile, earning
a 103 BRIS Speed rating for the convincing 2 3/4-length score at Santa Anita,
but his first four stakes victories, including the nine-furlong Santa Anita
Derby, all came around two turns. The four-year-old colt recorded four
consecutive runner-up finishes in sprint stakes, all as the overwhelming
favorite, before finally breaking through in the seven-furlong Pat O’Brien on
August 24, registering a 105 Speed rating for the 4 1/4-length decision.

The Doug O’Neill-trained son of Into Mischief will cut back to six furlongs
on Saturday with regular rider Rafael Bejarano.

Secret Circle will make only his second start since capturing the 2013
Sprint. A neck second in the Palos Verdes in early February, the lightly-raced
horse has been sidelined for 244 days, but Secret Circle runs well fresh for Bob
Baffert, returning from an 18-month hiatus last year with an allowance/optional
claiming victory before the Breeders’ Cup. The five-year-old son of Eddington
has never finished worse than second from 10 career outings (7-3-0) and will
break from the rail with Martin Garcia.

Secret Circle will be seeking his third stakes victory at Santa Anita (Breeders’ Cup Ltd.)

One race later on the program, a field of 12 has been entered for the Grade
2, $200,000
City of
Hope Mile. Del Mar Mile runner-up Rock Me Baby rates as a top contender in
the well-matched field, but he’ll need to overcome far outside post position.
Corey Nakatani retains the mount for Craig Dollase.

Other leading prospects in the one-mile turf affair include Avanzare, Big
Bane Theory, Grand Tito and Soi Phet.

The Grade 3, $100,000
L.A. Woman
kicks off the stakes action with a short field of six fillies and mares
traveling six furlongs on the main track. Top Kisser exits a second to the
classy Reneesgotzip in the C.E.R.F. at Del Mar and the California-bred mare
recorded a convincing stakes victory in her lone appearance on Santa Anita’s
main track, taking the Spring Fever by 3 3/4 lengths in April. Elvis Trujillo
rides for Jerry Hollendorfer.

Last-out stakes winners Stopshoppingdebbie, Tribal Gal and Uzziel also merit
respect.