OM by Benoit Photo
OM COULD COME BACK WITH A BANG ON JULY 4
ARROGATE CRUISES IN A BREEZE FOR BAFFERT
LIVE RACING RESUMES AT SANTA ANITA ON FRIDAY
OM RETURNS FOR HENDRICKS IN AMERICAN STAKES
What could be more fitting than running the American Stakes on the Fourth of July?
Not much, which is why Santa Anita is on board patriotically and then some next Tuesday with the Grade III American Stakes for three-year-olds and up at a mile on turf.
Dan Hendricks has a horse well-suited to the conditions of the $100,000 race in Om, a five-year-old son of Munnings owned by the Sareen Family Trust. The full chestnut has run seven times on turf, winning three with two seconds and a third, and six times at a mile on the grass, winning twice, finishing second twice and third once.
Usually on or close to the lead, Om finished second by a nose to Obviously in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita last Nov. 5, then was third by a half-length in the Grade II Seabiscuit at Del Mar before Hendricks gave him a break.
“Om is ready to go and coming back really well,” the trainer said. “I gave him a short time off after Del Mar last summer (from Aug. 21 to Oct. 8), but when he came back and we had all that rain, he wasn’t going to get anywhere, so I just gave more time.”
Om once again will be ridden by Gary Stevens, who has been aboard the Kentucky-bred in his last 10 starts, winning three, all Grade II stakes, the Del Mar Derby, the Twilight Derby and the Mathis Brothers Mile.
In 16 career starts, Om has five wins, four seconds and four thirds, with earnings of $848,845.
Also showcased on the July 4 holiday will be the $100,000 Lennyfrommalibu Stakes, one in the lucrative Golden State Series for California-bred or sired horses, this for four-year-olds and up at about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf.
Both next Monday, July 3, and July 4, are Dollar Days, with beer, hot dogs and soda on sale for a buck. July 4 is closing day of the Spring portion of the current meet.
MULTI-MILLIONAIRE ARROGATE WORKS IN 1:12.40
Arrogate, the horse of the world who conquers all he surveys, worked six furlongs in 1:12.40 with jockey Martin Garcia aboard on Santa Anita’s fast main track Sunday morning after the 7:45 renovation break.
Santa Anita clockers gave Arrogate fractional times of 24.60, 36.40 and 48.40, with a seven furlong gallop out clocking of 1:24.40.
Earner of more than $17 million in an abbreviated career of eight races, Arrogate is expected to make his next start on July 22 in Del Mar’s Grade II, $300,000 San Diego Handicap at a mile and one sixteenth, which would set him up for the $1 million Pacific Classic at a mile and a quarter on Aug. 19.
“He went fast today and was really cruising around,” trainer Bob Baffert said of the son of Unbridled’s Song owned by Juddmonte Farms. “The San Diego is his (next) race right now. We’ll have to see how he’s doing, of course, but he’ll definitely be leaving for Del Mar on the 15th (of July).
“Last year I was going to run him against (California) Chrome in the San Diego. I was going to sneak in there, but he wasn’t quite himself, but not really sick, so we didn’t run.”
As for Arrogate Lite, otherwise known as Collected, Baffert was duly impressed with the four-year-old son of City Zip’s overwhelming 14-length victory in Saturday’s Grade III Precisionist Stakes, a performance that earned him a career-top Beyer Speed figure of 111.
“They’re hitting on all cylinders, which is good,” Baffert said of his plethora of stakes winners which have accounted for most of the barn’s nearly $13 million in purse earnings this year. “It’s fun to have these nice horses. I’d like to breeze Collected on the turf down at Del Mar. He could be a double weapon, turf and dirt.”
FINISH LINES: There will be no simulcast wagering at Santa Anita next
Thursday, July 29. After today’s races, Santa Anita will resume live racing on Friday, June 30, and race through Tuesday, July 4 when the Spring portion of the current meet ends. Santa Anita will offer free Club House and General Admission on Friday, as well as free General Parking. Both Monday, July 3, and July 4, are Dollar Days, with beer, hot dogs and soda on sale for only a buck . . . With six racing days remaining, four jockeys are in contention for the riding title: Flavien Prat (35), Joe Talamo (32), Rafael Bejarano (31) and apprentice Evin Roman (30). Among trainers, Peter Miller is seven in front of Richard Baltas at 31-24 . . . Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Battle of Midway, who won Saturday’s Affirmed Stakes by 4 ¼ lengths as a $2.20 favorite should, came back well. “We’re happy the way he ran and happy the way he came out,” Jerry Hollendorfer said, adding “We’re going to look at that (the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 30) for sure.” Hollendorfer added that two-time champion Songbird, winner of Belmont Park’s Ogden Phipps June 10 in her four-year-old debut, will breeze next week for a race yet to be announced . . . Trainer John Sadlersent Beholder Mile winner Stellar Wind five furlongs in 1:01 flat for the Grade I Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar July 30 . . . There were 21 recorded works Sunday on the training track, including a four furlong move by Cool Cowboy, who makes his U.S. debut in the San Carlos Stakes for trainer Seth Benzel. Among the 214 recorded breezes on the main track were four furlong drills by undefeated multiple stakes winner Sircat Sally for Hollendorfer and Beholder Mile runner-up Vale Dori for Bob Baffert, going in 49.60 and 49.40, respectively . . . Tyler Baze rides multiple graded stakes winner Itsinthepost for Jeff Mullins in next Saturday’s Grade I United Nations at Monmouth Park . . . Corrections: Kobe’s Back is six, not seven, and worked Saturday with Confirmed, not Arrowsphere . . . The single ticket Pick Six Jackpot carryover has ascended to $251,970.90 for Sunday.