Motorious (Benoit Photo)
Santa Anita Press Release
ARCADIA, Calif.— Phil D’Amato’s rapidly improving Motorious rates a huge chance as he heads a field of eight older horses going about 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in Sunday’s $100,000 Clockers’ Corner Stakes at Santa Anita.
In his fourth start with D’Amato, English-bred Motorious, a 5-year-old gelding, exploded through the lane to take a second condition hillside allowance by 3 ¼ lengths on Jan. 2 while earning a lofty 99 Beyer Speed Figure. A one-length allowance winner going five furlongs on turf at Del Mar Nov. 27, Motorious will be ridden for the third consecutive time by Flavien Prat.
Owned by Anthony Fanticola, Motorious was two for seven in his native England and is 11-4-2-2 overall with a win and a third place finish from two tries down the hillside turf.
Lane Way, second in four out of his last five starts for Richard Mandella, comes off a close second over the course in the Grade II Joe Hernandez Stakes on Dec. 31 and was a game neck winner of a hillside allowance on Nov. 6.
Best suited when on or near the early lead, Lane Way, a 6-year-old gelding by Into Mischief, will be ridden for the fifth consecutive time by Mike Smith. Owned by MyRacehorse, Lane Way has a win and two seconds from three tries down the hill and is 16-3-6-5 overall.
Idle since a game 1 ¾ length hillside allowance win on Oct. 9, George Papaprodromou’s Yeng Again will be making his third start off an extended layoff and appears well spotted as he tries for his second win in as many attempts over the course.
A lightly raced 6-year-old gelding by Carpe Diem, Yeng Again has two wins and as many seconds from five starts and will be ridden back by regular rider Abel Cedillo for owner Calvin Nguyen.
Claimed out of a third place finish coming down the hill for $80,000 on Jan. 2, Ryan Hanson’s Irish-bred Coulthard, who was a close fourth over the course in the Grade III Eddie D Stakes three starts back on Oct. 1, is winless in six hillside starts but would benefit from a fast pace.
A 5-year-old gelding, Coulthard is owned and trained by Hanson and will be ridden for the first time by Kyle Frey.
THE CLOCKERS’ CORNER STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT
- Respect the Code—Kent Desormeaux—120
- Yeng Again—Abel Cedillo—120
- Count of Amazonia—Umberto Rispoli–122
- Motorious—Flavien Prat—122
- Lambeau—Victor Espinoza—122
- Coulthard—Kyle Frey—122
- Lane Way—Mike Smith—122
- Nero—Kazushi Kimura–122
First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. with admission gates opening at 10:30 a.m.
