November 23, 2024

Hot pace could help closers in Santa Ynez

Last updated: 12/31/14 5:09 PM













Conquest Harlanate figures to benefit from a hot pace in the Santa Ynez

(WEG/Michael Burns Photography)

A plethora of speed in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000
Santa Ynez
at Santa Anita could set things up for a closer in the 6 1/2-furlong dash for
three-year-old fillies, which offers the winner 10 qualifying points toward
eligibility in the Kentucky Oaks.

Rattataptap could be such a horse. The Jeff Bonde-trained daughter of Tapit,
who sired last year’s Kentucky Oaks winner Tapiture, rallied from off the pace
to register a nose victory in her debut at Del Mar on November 29, getting 6 1/2
furlongs in 1:16 3/5.

There is no shortage of pace to chase with multiple stakes winner Seduire
breaking from the inside post, Los Alamitos maiden winner Callback to her
immediate right, and Anoakia heroine Light in the City outside that one in post
3.

Xoxo, a recent allowance winner at Del Mar, breaks from post 4 and has early
foot, while debut winner Lady Lake should also show some zip from post 9.

Another who should benefit from hot fractions is Conquest Harlanate. The most
accomplished filly in the field with a pair of graded wins in Canada — the
Natalma and Mazarine — last year, she was most recently 11th of 13 in the
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf after a wide trip. The Mark Casse charge
will be trying dirt for the first time in the Santa Ynez.

The supporting feature, the Grade 2, $200,000
San
Gabriel
for older horses at 1 1/8 miles on the turf, came up solid. Tom’s
Tribute, who scored a top-level win in the Eddie Read at Del Mar in July, looks
to rebound from a third-place effort as the favorite in the Seabiscuit Handicap
at the San Diego-area course.

Also exiting the Seabiscuit is Big Bane Theory, who landed the City of Hope
over a mile at Santa Anita on October 4, and multiple Grade 2 winner Skyring,
who will race without blinkers in his debut for Hall of Fame trainer Neil
Drysdale.

Casse will saddle Dynamic Sky, who placed in four graded stakes in Canada
last season before triumphing in the Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct over 1 3/8
miles. Also shortening up are Finnegans Wake and Patrioticandproud, who were
separated by a neck when running one-two in the 1 1/2-mile Hollywood Turf Cup at
Del Mar on Thanksgiving Day.




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