Mi Hermano Ramon (outside) just gets up in the Singletary (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.— Separated by just a head when last they met at a mile and one eighth on turf May 7, Mi Hermano Ramon and Wizard of Westwood head a group of seven sophomores going a mile and one quarter on turf in Sunday’s $100,000 Cinema Stakes at Santa Anita.
Off as the 3-2 favorite in the May 7 Singletary Stakes, Mi Hermano Ramon, who settled nicely well off the early pace, stormed home to just get up over Wizard of Westwood in a thrilling finish. Bred in Kentucky by Red Baron’s Barn and owned by Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal, Mi Hermano Ramon has done little wrong for trainer Mark Glatt and is two for three over the Santa Anita lawn.
A first out one-mile maiden winner at Del Mar Dec. 4, this 3-year-old Creative Cause gelding came back to take a 6 ½ hillside turf allowance in his second start here on Jan. 27 and was then an unlucky fourth down the hill in the ungraded Baffle Stakes March 5.
Off at 15-1 with John Velazquez in the Grade III Transylvania Stakes going a mile and one sixteenth on turf at Keeneland April 7, he returned home to take the Singletary in game fashion under Umberto Rispoli, who rides back on Sunday.
With three wins from his five turf starts, Mi Hermano Ramon, the leading money earner in the field with $169,700, will hope to get a similar trip in the Cinema.
Trained by Michael McCarthy, Wizard of Westwood appeared an unlucky loser of the May 7 Singletary as he had to be used by Abel Cedillo to get a front-running position after bobbling slightly at the break. A bit keen in the run by the grandstand, Wizard of Westwood settled into a nice rhythmic stride up the backside and although tagged on the money by Mi Hermano Ramon, he was back in front just past the wire on the gallop-out into the Club House turn.
A first-out five-furlong dirt maiden winner at Los Alamitos July 3, Wizard of Westwood, dismissed at 26-1, came back to be second, beaten 1 ¼ lengths in the hillside Baffle Stakes March 5, besting fourth-place finisher Mi Hermano Ramon by roughly one length. In his first two-turn assignment, Wizard of Westwood went to the front in one mile turf Pasadena Stakes on April 2, but tired to finish third under Frankie Dettori.
Owned by Andrew and Rania Warren, Wizard of Westwood is a bay colt by the Scat Daddy stallion Tu Brutus and is out of the Purge mare Figrare. With Cedillo riding back, the “Wizard” is likely to be on the early lead as he looks for his first stakes victory in what will be his fifth career start.
Although he’s still a maiden after four starts and he’s never run on turf, Bob Baffert’s Worcester is easily the top Beyer Speed Figure earner in the Cinema field, as he posted a 94 Beyer when second, beaten a head as the 1-5 favorite in a one mile maiden race here on May 7.
Distanced with Frankie Dettori up in the Grade II UAE Derby on March 25, Worcester was a close third in the Grade II Robert B. Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 4, a race in which he earned a 98 Beyer, which followed a 96 Beyer, earned when finishing a close second in a 6 ½ furlong maiden race on Jan. 15.
A Kentucky-bred colt by Empire Maker out of the Super Saver mare Lil Super Bear, Worcester is owned by SF Racing, LLC, Madaket Stables, LLC, et al and will be ridden back by Juan Hernandez in what will be his fifth career start.
First post time for a 10-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m. with admission gates opening at 11 a.m.
