Mirahmadi works June 12 at Santa Anita, clocking five furlongs in 1:01.40 (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.— You talk about pressure. Santa Anita Track Announcer Frank Mirahmadi will be faced with plenty of it on Saturday as his namesake, a $1 million colt by Into Mischief will make his career debut in Saturday’s $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Futurity at five furlongs. Out of the unraced Malibu Moon mare More Chocolate, Mirahmadi has trained forwardly at both Los Alamitos and Santa Anita and he heads a field of six in California’s biggest race for juveniles thus far this year.
A $1,050,000 Keeneland September Yearling, Mirahmadi has a strong series of six local works to his credit, including a five-furlong bullet from the gate in 58.80 here on June 5—best of 26 at the distance.
“I am very excited to call Mirahmadi on Saturday,” said the Voice of Santa Anita Park, Frank Mirahmadi, who will also taking the reins for the first time next month as full-time announcer at Saratoga Race Course. “His works have been exceptional and the fact he is debuting in a stakes race confirms what anyone who has watched XBTV knows—this colt can run!
“I am very thankful to Tom Ryan and the ownership group for naming such a nice colt after me. I take pride in being unbiased in my race calls, but on Saturday I hope Mirahmadi’s white face is in front early and then he improves his position.”
Owned by SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC, et al, Mirahmadi gets the services of Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez. Atop the Hollywood Meet standings at entry time with 35 wins, 13 better than runner-up Ramon Vazquez, Hernandez seeks his meet-leading 11th stakes victory, while trainer Bob Baffert looks for his fifth added money score, which would put him in a tie with Phil D’Amato for most trainer stakes wins.
Reddam Racing’s homebred Refocus, who crushed fellow Cal-breds at first asking, rates second billing in Saturday’s Fasig-Tipton Futurity. Off at 2-1 going 4 ½ furlongs on May 21, he dueled for the early lead, had race favorite Last Call London to his outside turning for home and drew clear in a most impressive performance, winning by 4 ½ lengths while earning a solid 69 Beyer Speed Figure.
A grey or roan colt by Pavel, Refocus is out of the Square Eddie mare Redo It and he’ll be ridden back by Mario Gutierrez.
Trainer Steve Knapp’s California-bred Going Mobile was also an impressive first-out maiden winner as he sped to a 4 ½ length win as the 6-5 favorite going 4 ½ furlongs April 30. Bred by Terry Lovingier and owned by Knapp, Lovingier and Thomas Halaz, Going Mobile is by Lovingier’s red-hot stallion Stay Thirsty out of the War Front mare Mobilize.
Going Mobile, who earned a 61 Beyer on April 30, will be ridden back by Tiago Pereira.
Kentucky-bred Tranche, who has the advantage of having two races under his belt, was most recently third, beaten 9 ¾ lengths, in an ungraded stakes going five panels on May 4 at Churchill Downs. A $210,000 Keeneland September Yearling by Collected out of the Archarcharch mare Theory of Change, Tranche was a well beaten seventh after breaking a step slow in his 4 ½ furlong maiden debut April 7 at Keeneland and will thus be making his third start at as many different tracks on Saturday.
Trained by 2-year-old specialist Luis Mendez, Tranche is owned by William Peoples and will be ridden by Edwin Maldonado.
THE $100,000 FASIG-TIPTON FUTURITY WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 7 of 12 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT
- Harry Houdini—Joe Bravo—119
- Refocus—Mario Gutierrez—123
- Tranche—Edwin Maldonado—119
- Going Mobile—Tiago Pereira—123
- Next Level—Kent Desormeaux–119
- Mirahmadi—Juan Hernandez—119
First post time for a 12-race card on Saturday, the penultimate racing day in Santa Anita’s 28-day Hollywood Meet, is at 1 p.m. with admission gates opening at 11 a.m.
