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Seal Team wins the Twilight Derby (G2) Nov. 4, 2023, at Santa Anita (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
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Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.— Contention runs deep in Saturday’s $80,000 Lure Stakes going one mile on turf at Santa Anita, which is restricted to horses who have not won a stakes race in 2024 other than statebred.
Among the key principals are graded-stakes winners Seal Team, who returns from an 11-plus month layoff for trainer Richard Mandella; Exaulted, winner of the 2023 GI Shoemaker Mile; and a trio of contender entering in razor-sharp form, Man O Rose, El Potente and Sarwar.
Seal Team will be making his first start since winning the GII Twilight Derby last November on the Breeders’ Cup undercard at Santa Anita. The lightly raced 4-year-old War Front colt is 3-1-1 in five starts with $260,960 in earnings for owners-breeders Perry Bass and Ramona Bass.
Seal Team has been working steadily since late July for his comeback. He comes in with six straight six-furlong works on the tab, including a move in 1:12.80 on Santa Anita’s synthetic training track Oct. 7. Jockey Umberto Rispoli, who has ridden Seal Team in four of five starts including the Twilight Derby win, has the call.
Exaulted gets class relief seeking a return to form for trainer Peter Eurton. The 7-year-old Twirling Candy horse has failed to hit the board in three starts this year. Most recently in the GII Del Mar Mile Aug 31, Exaulted attended the pace before weakening late to finish seventh.
Owned by C R K Stable, Exaulted is 19: 5-4-4 with $679,525 in earnings. He will have Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez in the irons.
Man O Rose has won seven of his last nine starts, including the EB Johnston Stakes for California-breds at a mile on dirt Sept. 14 at Los Alamitos. The 4-year-old Stanford gelding is also 3-2-0 in seven turf starts, though this will be his first time routing on the lawn. A homebred for B and B Ziets Stables Inc., Man O Rose will have regular rider Edwin Maldonado in the irons.
El Potente makes his stakes debut having won four of his last five starts. Trained by Dan Blacker, El Potente most recently went gate-to-wire under Hector Berrios in a first-level allowance at a mile on turf June 8 at Santa Anita. The 5-year-old horse by Temple City is 10: 4-1-1 with $128,700 in earnings for owner My Way Racing. He will be ridden by Hector Berrios, who was aboard for El Potente’s most recent allowance win.
Sarwar, trained by Leonard Powell, exits a front-running win in a second-level allowance going a mile on turf Aug. 17 at Del Mar. This will be the U.S. stakes debut for Sarwar, who was a stakes winner in his native France. A 5-year-old gelding by Pedro the Great, Sarwar is owned by Benowitz Family Trust, Madaket Stables and Frank Reynoso Jr. He has an overall record of 14: 4-5-0 with $163,847 in earnings. Sarwar will be ridden by Diego Herrera.
THE LURE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT
- Mi Hermano Ramon – Antonio Fresu – 126
- Man O Rose – Edwin Maldonado – 126
- Flashiest – Armando Ayuso – 126
- Sumter – Mike Smith – 126
- Exhaulted – Juan Hernandez – 126
- Sarwar – Diego Herrera – 124
- El Potente – Hector Berrios – 122
- War At Sea – Jose Valdivia, Jr. – 126
- Seal Team – Umberto Rispoli – 126
