Sorrento Sky in the Green Flash, Benoit Photo
Santa Anita Park Press
ARCADIA, CA — The blockbuster 10-race card this Saturday at Santa Anita Park includes a pair of graded stakes to be contested at about 6 ½ furlongs on the track’s unique hillside turf course. First, in the fifth race, a field of nine older horses led by Sorrento Sky will meet in the Grade II, $200,000 Eddie D Stakes. Then in the ninth race, a field of 10 3-year-old fillies will descend the hill in the Grade III, $100,000 John C. Harris Stakes.
Sorrento Sky will look to make it back-to-back graded stakes wins for trainer Phil D’Amato. In last month’s GII Green Flash going five furlongs on turf at Santa Anita, Sorrento Sky rallied from last under Umberto Rispoli to score by one length at odds of 7-1. Last year, the 5-year-old Irish-bred gelding by Prince of Lir finished third in the Eddie D. Owned by CYBT, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig et al., Sorrento Sky has a record of 21: 4-4-6 with $422,918 in earnings.
Looming among Sorrento Sky’s chief rivals is Virat. Trained by Dan Blacker for owner Sareem Family Trust, Virat set the pace in the Green Flash before being caught late to finish third, beaten 1 ½ lengths by Sorrento Sky. The 7-year-old gelding by Bayern, who was ridden by Hector Berrios in the Green Flash, will have a new rider Saturday as eastern-based jockey Paco Lopez jumps aboard for the first time.
Post time for the Eddie D is at approximately 3 p.m. PT. The field in post position order with jockey and weight carried: Sumter, Mike Smith (124); Later Than Planned, Hector Berrios (118); Freedom’s Not Free, Juan Hernandez (124); Amorita, Kazushi Kimura (119); Nesso’s Lastharrah, Emisael Jaramillo (122); Sorrento Sky, Umberto Rispoli (126); Pure Madness, Armando Ayuso (122); First Peace, Joel Rosario (122); Virat, Paco Lopez (122).
Among the headliners in the John C. Harris Stakes are unbeaten Little Opal, who’ll be making her stakes debut for trainer Doug O’Neill; and Brave Deb, who races for the first time since last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella.
Little Opal has led at every point of call in two career starts, both coming against older fillies and mares at five furlongs on turf this summer at Del Mar. By Caravaggio, Little Opal went gate-to-wire when beating maidens in her debut on July 24, then came right back with a dominant front-running allowance victory that earned a field-high 94 Beyer Speed Figure. Little Opal is a homebred for Donald R. Dizney. Jockey Emisael Jaramillo was aboard for both of Little Opal’s victories and again takes the call.
Brave Deb won her first two career starts last year including the GIII Surfer Girl going one mile on turf at Santa Anita. Sent off at 17-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar, the Spendthrift Farm homebred by Authentic stalked the pace for the opening half mile before weakening to finish last of 12. Brave Deb has worked eight times since July 23 for her first start in 330 days. She’ll be ridden by Joel Rosario for the first time.
Post time for the John C. Harris is at approximately 5 p.m. The field on post position order with jockey and weight carried: Mo’ Em Down, Juan Hernandez (120); Seeking Attention, Armando Ayuso (120); Brave Deb, Joel Rosario (124); Yours Sincerely, Umberto Rispoli (120); R Slew of Cash, Edwin Gonzalez (120); Surfin’ U.S.A., Kazushi Kimura (120); Come On Om, Tyler Baze (120); Day to Day, Paco Lopez (122); Run With Liberty, Kyle Frey (120); Little Opal, Emisael Jaramillo (120).
First post Saturday is at 1 p.m. PT. The other stakes on the card are the Grade I Goodwood, an automatic qualifier to the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic; Grade II City Of Hope Mile, which provides the winner a fees-paid berth to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile; and the Grade II John Henry Turf Championship.
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