Sumter bounces repeat in Lure Stakes. (Benoit Photo)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.—Winless since taking down last year’s Lure Stakes, Sumter made it back-to-back victories in the one-mile turf event Saturday when rolling to a dominant four-length victory under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith Saturday at Santa Anita.
Trained by fellow Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, Sumter won in a fast time of 1:32.46 after stablemate Goliad (9-2) blitzed through fractions of 22.68, 44.95 and 1:08.66 for six furlongs. Sumter settled some six lengths back of Goliad down the backstretch, reeled that rival in near the quarter pole and was never challenged in the stretch to score as the 2-1 second choice.
“This horse in the morning he has so much ability, he can probably outrun everybody in the morning,” Smith said. “But for whatever reason in the afternoon, he hasn’t really given it. We always knew that he had it in him. Today he finally gave me that race that I knew he had in him.”
St Anthony (4-1), ridden by Juan Hernandez for trainer Neil Drysdale, finished second with another 1 ½ lengths back to Watsonville (5-1) in third. The Lure is a restricted race for horses that have not won a stakes in 2025 other than statebred.
Sumter improved to 28: 5-5-5 with $480,410 in earnings for owners-breeders Perry R. Bass II and Ramona S. Bass. In two previous starts this year, both five-furlong turf sprints at Del Mar, the 6-year-old gelding by War Front finished fifth in an allowance on July 31 and eighth in the GIII Green Flash Aug. 30.
“This looked awfully good,” Mandella said of the performance. “I was watching him after he pulled up, and he looked like Michael Jackson coming off the racetrack. They do know (they won) sometimes.”
Sumter paid $6.80, $4.20 and $3.00. St. Anthony returned $5.00 and $3.00. Watsonville, with Antonio Fresu up for Mark Glatt, paid $3.20.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Santa Anita with a nine-race card starting at 1 p.m. PT. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.
