Shady Tiger (#8) up in time to win an allowance Feb. 17 at Santa Anita (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.— Among the better betting races on Saturday’s GI Santa Anita Derby card is the $125,000 Echo Eddie Stakes at six and a half furlongs on dirt, which attracted a wide-open field of 11 3-year-olds bred or sired in California.
Lord Prancealot, a statebred stakes winner sprinting on dirt last year, returned from a 5 ½ month layoff and won an open allowance going six furlongs on synthetic at Golden Gate March 24. Trained by Jeff Bonde, the Sir Prancealot colt won the Graduation Stakes at Del Mar last August prior to hitting the sidelines.
Lord Prancealot will have Edwin Maldonado in the irons for the first time. Owned by Edward Rusty J. Brown and breeder Jeff Ganje, Lord Prancealot is 5: 3-0-0 with $144,280 in earnings.
Shady Tiger enters with the highest Beyer Speed Figure in the field for trainer Phil D’Amato. By Smiling Tiger, he earned a 79 Beyer when graduating against statebreds going six furlongs on dirt here Jan. 7. He returned in a first-level statebred allowance on turf and scored by a nose here Feb. 17.
Shady Tiger is 2-1-0 in three starts with $91,400 in earnings for owner-breeder Rusty Brown.
Last Call London cuts back to a sprint after finishing second in the 1 1/16-mile Turf Paradise Derby March 14 for trainer Peter Miller. Winner of the one-mile King Glorious last year at Los Alamitos, the Stay Thirsty gelding is 11: 2-3-3 with $196,096 in earnings for breeder Terry Lovingier and co-owners Tom London and Eugene Zondlo.
Frankie Dettori rides Last Call London for the first time.
Unbeaten Tom Seaver makes his dirt and stakes debut for trainer Phil D’Amato and owner-breeder Nick Alexander. The Sir Prancealot colt won his debut going six furlongs on turf here in October and returned to take a first-level statebred allowance at 6 ½ furlongs on turf here March 17.
Antonio Fresu was aboard Tom Seaver for both victories and again has the call Saturday.
Known Idea graduated second time out going six furlongs here March 15. Trained by John Sadler, the effort earned a competitive 75 Beyer. By Goldencents, Known Idea is a homebred for Legacy Ranch. He will be ridden Hector Berrios, who was aboard for the maiden breaker.
THE ECHO EDDIE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 12 of 12 Approximate post time 5:30 p.m. PT
- Stay On the Fence—Ricardo Gonzalez—120
- Prince Prancealot—Jose Valdivia Jr.—124
- Shady Tiger—Juan Hernandez—122
- Known Idea—Hector Berrios—120
- Puddin Head Jones—Jeremy Laprida—120
- Last Call London—Frankie Dettori—124
- Lord Prancealot—Edwin Maldonado—124
- Two by Four—Kazushi Kimura—120
- Uncle Chilly—Armando Ayuso—120
- Tom Seaver—Antonio Fresu—122
- Refocus—Mario Gutierrez—122
With 12 races Saturday, including five stakes, first post time is 12 p.m.. Admission gates will open at 10 a.m.
