Santa Anita will feature the $200,000 Joe Hernandez (G2) for turf sprinters on New Year’s Day.
Joe Hernandez Stakes – Race 7 (6:32 PT)
After leading in upper stretch, Wildman Jack was beaten only a length in seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1). The 5-year-old gelding will be back at Santa Anita for Friday’s Hernandez S. (G2), and he’s the 3-1 morning line favorite among 11 turf sprinters.
Wildman Jack has posted a win in the Daytona (G3) and a runner-up in the Eddie D. (G2) in his last two starts at Santa Anita, but those came at 5 1/2 furlongs. The Doug O’Neill-trained son of Goldencents will stretch out to the about 6 1/2-furlong downhill course on New Year’s Day, and Abel Cedillo has the call.
Chaos Theory and Texas Wedge, separated by a head when finishing 1-2 in a Nov. 20 allowance at Del Mar, are the 4-1 early co-second choice.
Texas Wedge will make a title defense for Peter Miller, winning the Hernandez by about a length 12 months ago. A two-time stakes victory, the 6-year-old gelding will retain the services of Flavien Prat. The John Sadler-trained Chaos Theory captured the Green Flash (G3) in late August, and Umberto Rispoli will guide the 6-year-old gelding.
Hembree makes his first start for Miller. Claimed for $62,500 from a win over Churchill Downs main track on Nov. 19, Grade 2-winning turf sprinter placed in three turf stakes events during 2020. The confirmed late runner cuts back in trip for the Hernandez, and Joel Rosario rides the 7-year-old.
O’Neill will also be represented by Blitzkrieg, eighth most recently in the 1 1/16-mile Seabiscuit (G2) at Del Mar. The 6-year-old gelding has recorded four of his six victories on Santa Anita’s turf, including the American (G3) in June, and he figures to show early speed with Victor Espinoza.
True Valour invades for Graham Motion following a third in the Nov. 28 Aqueduct Turf Championship S. Based in Southern California earlier in his career, the 7-year-old captured the 2019 editions of the City of Hope Mile (G2) and Thunder Road (G3) over a mile. Drayden Van Dyke picks up the assignment.
