A field of eight older horses and geldings is set for the $150,000 San Marcos
S. (G2) at Santa Anita on Saturday. Multiple Grade 2 winner
PUERTO BANUS (Supremo) will try to improve
upon his fourth-place finish in this race last year and will face a slightly
easier group this time around. The Kristin Mulhall-trained six-year-old will be
ridden in the 1 1/4-mile grass event by Victor Espinoza.
One of the contenders is the Tom Bell II-conditioned HABANEROS (Tabasco Cat).
The chestnut gelding scored in the Carleton F. Burke H. (G3) in October but
didn’t do so well in the Hollywood Turf Cup (G1) in his final start as a
five-year-old last season. Another who could challenge is LICENSE TO RUN (Brz)
(Exile King), who finished just a neck back in third in the Hollywood Turf Cup.
A Group 1 winner in his native Brazil last year, the bay four-year-old will be
guided through the race by Garrett Gomez.
From the rail out, with riders and weights, the field is WHILLY (Ire) (Sri
Pekan), Felipe Martinez, 117; GORYLLA (Brz) (New Colony), Jon Court, 115;
Habaneros, David Flores, 115; Puerto Banus, 115; PUPPETEER (GB) Singspiel
[Ire]), Gary Stevens, 115; License to Run, 115; T. H. APPROVAL (With Approval),
Rene Douglas, 117; and EPICENTRE (Kris S.), Rene Douglas, 115.