ARCADIA, Calif.—A horse who showed ample promise early in his career, Richard Mandella’s Kanderel, on the strength of a solid recent allowance score, heads a field of seven three-year-olds and up in Saturday’s $75,000 Siren Lure Stakes at Santa Anita which will be contested at 6 ½ furlongs on turf.
Peter Miller’s French-bred Commander, who will be ridden by the recently arrived “Jersey Joe” Bravo, comes off a big effort over the course and would appear to rate a huge chance in his second consecutive stakes assignment.
A 4-year-old Candy Ride gelding that was bred in Kentucky by longtime Mandella clients Wertheimer and Frere, Kanderel rallied from far back to take a 6 ½ furlong allowance by three quarters of a length at odds of 14-1 on May 9. With Juan Hernandez back aboard on Saturday, Kanderel would certainly be flattered by a fast early pace as he seeks back to back wins for the first time in his career.
Out of the Storm Cat mare Stormica, Kanderel is 12-3-1-0 with earnings of $147,622.
Claimed nine starts back for $50,000 on Jan. 17, 2020, Commander, a 4-year-old gelding who was two for three in France prior to making his U.S. debut with Phil D’Amato on Sept. 1, 2019, made his first stakes appearance on May 29, running third, beaten 1 ¼ lengths in the Grade III Daytona Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs on turf.
With Hernandez opting to stick with Kanderel, Miller looks to Bravo to orchestrate the right trip on Saturday. Owned by the Sinnott Family Trust, Commander is 15-4-3-2 overall with earnings of $141,635.
THE $75,000 SIREN LURE STAKES Race 3 of 11 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT
1. Kanderel—Juan Hernandez—126
2. Tatters to Riches—126
3. Commander—Joe Bravo—122
4.Texas Wedge—Umberto Rispoli—126
5. Wound Tight—Kent Desormeaux—126
6. Tilted Towers—Abel Cedillo—122
7. Chasin Munny—Flavien Prat—124
First post time for an 11-race card, that will also include three other stakes on Saturday, is at 1 p.m.
Santa Anita Press Release
Photo: Kanderel, (Benoit)
