Seal Team winning the Twlight Derby, Ernie Belmonte, Past The Wire
Santa Anita Park Press
ARCADIA, CA —Grade II winner Seal Team, sidelined since May, makes his return Saturday for Hall of Fame trainer in the Grade III, $100,000 San Simeon Stakes going about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course. at Santa Anita. Seal Team is part of a formidable duo for Mandella that also includes Sumter, a veteran four-time stakes winner.
Seal Team has been off since last year’s GI Shoemaker Mile when he had a troubled trip and finished sixth, beaten just 1 ½ lengths. The San Simeon will be his first time testing Santa Anita unique hillside turf course and first-time sprinting since his debut back in November 2022. A homebred for Perry R. Bass II and Ramona S. Bass, the 6-year-old horse by War Front most notably won the Grade II Twilight Derby in 2023 at Santa Anita. Jockey Hector Berrios will ride Seal Team, who enters with a record of 10: 3-2-2 and $311,276 in earnings.
Sumter is also a homebred son of War Front for the Bass’s. A 7-year-old gelding, Sumter finished second in the GII Joe Hernandez on the hillside turf course early Dec. 29, then returned to be fourth in the restricted Clockers’ Corner at six furlongs on turf Feb. 8. He is 31: 5-6-5 with $527,870. Jockey Mike Smith will ride Sumter.
Sorrento Sky finished second in the Clockers’ Corner, about 1 ½ lengths in front of Sumter. The roles were reversed in the Joe Hernandez as Sorrento Sky checked in fifth behind runner-up Sumter. Trained by Phil D’Amato, Sorrento Sky finished third in this race last year. The 5-year-old Irish-bred horse is seeking his first graded stakes win. Sorrento Sky is owned by Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, McLean Racing Stables, Saul Gevertz, Marc Lantzman and Michael Nentwig. He is 17: 4-4-5 with $280,838 in earnings. Florent Geroux will ride Sorrento Sky for the first time.
Gran Oriente, imported from Chile last year, makes his U.S. stakes debut for trainer Marcelo Polanco and owner Stud Vendaval Inc. A 5-year-old horse by Classic Empire, Gran Oriente in his first U.S. start finished last at odds of 7-2 going one mile on turf on Jan. 11 at Santa Anita. Switched to the hillside course for his second start just 12 days later, Gran Oriente jumped up and won a high-level allowance by a neck. Jockey Armando Ayuso was aboard for the victory and again has the call.
THE GRADE III SAN SIMEON STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 3 of 9 – Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT
- Sumter—Mike Smith—122
- Quereme Pass—Emisael Jaramillo—120
- Genius Jimmy—Juan Hernandez—120
- Gran Oriente—Armando Ayuso—124
- Seal Team—Hector Berrios—124
- Sorrento Sky—Florent Geroux—120
First post Saturday is 1 p.m. PT.
