Santa Anita Opening Day
Dec 22, 2012 19:34:36 GMT -5
Post by Jon on Dec 22, 2012 19:34:36 GMT -5
.Racing News
THE LUMBER GUY, FED BIZ HEAD GRADE I MALIBU ON OPENING DAY, DRYSDALE TRAINEE HAS NINE ‘TREES’ TO TOPPLE; GRADE I LA BREA, GRADE II SIR BEAUFORT COMPLETE DECEMBER 26TH STAKES BONANZA AT SANTA ANITA
ARCADIA, Calif. (Dec. 21, 2012)—Santa Anita’s traditional opening day headliner, the Grade I, $300,000 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs, attracted a field of nine and will likely be headed by The Lumber Guy, who comes off a huge second-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at The Great Race Place on Nov. 3. The Kentucky-bred colt by Grand Slam had been trained by New York-based Mike Hushion, but will make his first start for trainer Neil Drysdale in the Malibu.
The Malibu will be complemented by the Grade I, $300,000 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs, which attracted a field of seven, and the Grade II, $150,000 Sir Beaufort Stakes, for 3-year-olds at one mile on turf, which drew eight.
Owned by Barry Schwartz, The Lumber Guy has been stabled at Betfair Hollywood Park since the Breeders’ Cup and has four works to his credit, including a six furlong drill on Dec. 14, in 1:14.20.
A winner of the Grade I Vosburgh at Belmont Park on Sept. 29, The Lumber Guy has shown good speed both sprinting and routing and is drawn well in post nine. He is a perfect one-for-one at seven furlongs and has a career mark of 7-4-1-0, with earnings of $735,800.
While Drysdale is no doubt pleased with his post position, trainer Bob Baffert, who will saddle a total of four horses in the Malibu, is likely less than happy with Fed Biz’s rail draw. The ultra-talented son of Giant’s Causeway was never a factor in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 3, finishing eighth in a nine-horse field.
Regarded by many as Baffert’s top Kentucky Derby prospect last winter, Fed Biz went to the sidelines after winning a first-condition allowance at Santa Anita on Feb. 9, and resurfaced at Del Mar on Aug. 31, winning the El Cajon Stakes under Joe Talamo by a neck. He was subsequently third in the Grade II Indiana Derby on Oct. 6 with Rafael Bejarano.
Ridden by Talamo in the Dirt Mile, he will be handled for the first time in the Malibu by Mike Smith. Fed Biz also drew the rail in his only sprint try, his debut on Nov. 11, 2011, and rallied from off the pace to finish fourth, beaten 2 ½ lengths going six furlongs. As an indication of his readiness, Fed Biz worked five furlongs in a rapid 58 flat on Friday at Santa Anita. Owned by Kaleem Shah Inc., his record stands at 6-3-0-1, with earnings of $184,206.
more:
www.santaanita.com/
Entries:
www.equibase.com/premium/eqbRaceEntriesDisplay.cfm?TRK=SA&CY=USA&DATE=12/26/2012&STYLE=EQB
THE LUMBER GUY, FED BIZ HEAD GRADE I MALIBU ON OPENING DAY, DRYSDALE TRAINEE HAS NINE ‘TREES’ TO TOPPLE; GRADE I LA BREA, GRADE II SIR BEAUFORT COMPLETE DECEMBER 26TH STAKES BONANZA AT SANTA ANITA
ARCADIA, Calif. (Dec. 21, 2012)—Santa Anita’s traditional opening day headliner, the Grade I, $300,000 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs, attracted a field of nine and will likely be headed by The Lumber Guy, who comes off a huge second-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at The Great Race Place on Nov. 3. The Kentucky-bred colt by Grand Slam had been trained by New York-based Mike Hushion, but will make his first start for trainer Neil Drysdale in the Malibu.
The Malibu will be complemented by the Grade I, $300,000 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs, which attracted a field of seven, and the Grade II, $150,000 Sir Beaufort Stakes, for 3-year-olds at one mile on turf, which drew eight.
Owned by Barry Schwartz, The Lumber Guy has been stabled at Betfair Hollywood Park since the Breeders’ Cup and has four works to his credit, including a six furlong drill on Dec. 14, in 1:14.20.
A winner of the Grade I Vosburgh at Belmont Park on Sept. 29, The Lumber Guy has shown good speed both sprinting and routing and is drawn well in post nine. He is a perfect one-for-one at seven furlongs and has a career mark of 7-4-1-0, with earnings of $735,800.
While Drysdale is no doubt pleased with his post position, trainer Bob Baffert, who will saddle a total of four horses in the Malibu, is likely less than happy with Fed Biz’s rail draw. The ultra-talented son of Giant’s Causeway was never a factor in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 3, finishing eighth in a nine-horse field.
Regarded by many as Baffert’s top Kentucky Derby prospect last winter, Fed Biz went to the sidelines after winning a first-condition allowance at Santa Anita on Feb. 9, and resurfaced at Del Mar on Aug. 31, winning the El Cajon Stakes under Joe Talamo by a neck. He was subsequently third in the Grade II Indiana Derby on Oct. 6 with Rafael Bejarano.
Ridden by Talamo in the Dirt Mile, he will be handled for the first time in the Malibu by Mike Smith. Fed Biz also drew the rail in his only sprint try, his debut on Nov. 11, 2011, and rallied from off the pace to finish fourth, beaten 2 ½ lengths going six furlongs. As an indication of his readiness, Fed Biz worked five furlongs in a rapid 58 flat on Friday at Santa Anita. Owned by Kaleem Shah Inc., his record stands at 6-3-0-1, with earnings of $184,206.
more:
www.santaanita.com/
Entries:
www.equibase.com/premium/eqbRaceEntriesDisplay.cfm?TRK=SA&CY=USA&DATE=12/26/2012&STYLE=EQB