Almendares winning an AOC Dec. 3 at Del Mar. (Benoit Photo)
Race Is One Of Six Graded Stakes On Tuesday’s Opening Day Card, 1st post At 11 A.M.
Mike Willman/Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.—Phil D’Amato’s hard-hitting English-bred Almendares retains the services of Flavien Prat and figures to be tough to deny among a field of seven sophomores in Tuesday’s Grade II, $200,000 Mathis Mile (turf) at Santa Anita. The Mathis Mile is one of six graded stakes on an 11-race card on Santa Anita’s Classic Meet opening day and has been carded as race nine.
A 3-year-old gelding with a terrific stretch kick, Almendares rallied from far back to win going away by three quarters of a length in a one mile turf second condition allowance Dec. 3 at Del Mar—earning a career best 95 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.
A hard-charging fifth, beaten one length two starts back at a mile and one eighth on turf in the Grade II Twilight Derby here Nov. 4, Almendares finished well to be third, beaten one length three starts back in the Grade II Del Mar Derby on Sept. 3.
Two for five in Ireland and a winner of two of his four starts locally with D’Amato, Almendares is owned by CYBT, McLean Racing Stables, Saul Gervitz, et al.
An authoritative 2 ¼ length one mile maiden turf winner in his eighth career start Sept. 9 at Del Mar, the Jeff Mullins-trained Dandy Man Shines rallied for another 2 ¼ length one mile turf win in the restricted Let It Ride Stakes on Nov. 10 and thus seeks his third win in a row with Umberto Rispoli at the controls on Tuesday.
Owned by Red Baron’s Barn, LLC and Rancho Temescal, Dandy Man Shines is a 3-year-old gelding coming to his best at a distance he relishes.
The Grade II Mathis Mile
Race 9 of 11 Approximate post time 3 p.m. PT1 Reiquist—Irad Ortiz, Jr.—120
2 Panic Alarm—Hector Berrios—120
3 Calm Sea—Mario Gutierrez—120
4 Almendares—Flavien Prat—120
5 Ah Jeez—Junior Alvarado—120
6 Dandy Man Shines—Umberto Rispoli—122
7 Watsonville—Antonio Fresu—120
First post time for an 11-race card that will include six graded stakes on Tuesday is at 11 a.m. with admission gates opening at 9 a.m.
