Nysos battles Citizen Bull to the edge of the wire. (Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Press Release
ARCADIA, CA —Opening day of Santa Anita Park’s traditional Classic Meet, now scheduled for Sunday, will include notable clash of Grade I-winning stablemates Nysos and Nevada Beach in the Grade II, $200,000 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes. Also among the six graded stakes on a blockbuster program are the GII Mathis Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds on turf and GIII San Gabriel at 1 1/8 miles on turf.
Nysos and Nevada Beach, both trained by Bob Baffert, are part of a seven-horse field signed on for the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes. Nysos will be making his first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Nevada Beach, who most recently won the GIII Native Diver going 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 22, earned his Grade I win in the Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita in September also going 1 1/8 miles. They will meet at 1 1/16 miles in the Laffit Pincay Jr., a long-standing race previously known as the San Antonio which last year was renamed in honor of the legendary jockey.
Looming as potential upset threats in the Pincay are British Isles and Bartholdy. British Isles finished second by a half-length to Nevada Beach in the Native Diver after a long series of turf efforts. The 4-year-old gelding by Justify is trained by Richard Baltas. Bartholdy, who has been mainly a sprinter, stretches out for trainer Steve Knapp after a high-level allowance win going 6 ½ furlongs on Nov. 30 at Del Mar. The runner-up that day, Midland Money, is entered in the opening day Grade I Malibu for Baffert.
The Laffit Pincay Jr. goes as the sixth race on an 11-race card set for opening day. First post is 11 a.m. PT and the Pincay will go at approximately 1:30 p.m. The field in post position order: Nysos, Flavien Prat; Vodka Vodka, Kent Desormeaux; Nevada Beach, Juan Hernandez; Cornishman, Ricky Gonzalez; British Isles, Diego Herrera; Indispensable, Joel Rosario; Bartholdy, Tyler Baze.
The $200,000 Mathis Mile includes the top four finishers from October’s Let It Ride Stakes at Del Mar won by Tempus Volat. Trained by Leonard Powell, Tempus Volat returned to test the GI Hollywood Derby on Nov. 29 at Del Mar and finished a solid fourth at 12-1. Friendly Confines, trained by Richard Baltas, was second in the Let It Ride and then was sixth in the Hollywood Derby. Lyle the Crocodile was third in the Let It Ride for trainer Mark Glatt. He then failed to deliver as the 2-1 favorite in a first-level allowance Nov. 29 at Del Mar. Hiding in Honduras was a troubled fourth in the Let It Ride in what was just his second career start. Trained by Jonathan Thomas, Hiding in Honduras previously romped by 7 ¾ lengths when debuting at six furlongs on synthetic at Presque Isle Downs.
The new face in the lineup is Namaron, an import from Europe earlier this year for trainer John Sadler. In two U.S. starts, Namaron finished third in both the Gun Runner at Kentucky Downs in September and the GII Twilight Derby at Santa Anita on Oct. 25. Namaron will add blinkers and have the services of top jockey Flavien Prat.
The Mathis Mile goes as the fifth race at approximately 1 p.m. The field in post position order: Hiding in Honduras, Antonio Fresu; Tempus Volat, Mirco Demuro; Namaron, Flavien Prat; Geometry, Joel Rosario; Friendly Confines, Irad Ortiz Jr.; Lyle The Crocodile, Umberto Rispoli; Maaz, Jose Ortiz.
The $100,000 San Gabriel Stakes has a wide-open field of 11 signed on. Astronomer, trained by Simon Callaghan, exits a career-best performance when finishing second by a half-length in the GII Seabiscuit at 1 1/16 miles on Nov. 29 at Del Mar. Veteran multiple graded stakes winner Cabo Spirit, trained by George Papaprodromou, faded to seventh in the Seabiscuit after pressing he pace. Nineeleventurbo cuts back in distance for trainer Neil Drysdale after solid third-place effort in the GII Hollywood Turf Cup going 1 ½ miles Nov. 28 at Del Mar. Suchet, imported from Europe earlier this year, gets a second U.S. stakes try for trainer John Sadler following a big 3 ¼-length allowance win going 1 1/16 miles on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
The San Gabriel goes as the ninth race at approximately 3 p.m. The field in post position order: Twirling Point, Mirco Demuro; Mondego, Flavien Prat; Endlessly, Umberto Rispoli; Stay Hot, Irad Ortiz Jr.; St Anthony, Juan Hernandez; Nesso’s Lastharrah, Edwin Maldonado; Suchet, Joel Rosario; Astronomer, Antonio Fresu; Cabo Spirit, Mike Smith; Flashiest, Armando Ayuso; Nineeleventurbo, Hector Berrios.
