Mongolian Groom may go in Awesome Again

Mongolian Groom, third in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 17 and fifth in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga two weeks later, may run in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 28, owner and trainer Enebish Ganbat said on Sunday.

Mongolian Groom worked three furlongs in 36.60 seconds at Santa Anita on Saturday, his first workout since finishing 4 1/4 lengths behind Preservationist in the Woodward Stakes.

“He’s doing okay,” Ganbat said. “He came back a little tired from Saratoga. It was really hot.”

Mongolian Groom has run in graded stakes, without a win, in seven consecutive starts since a victory in an allowance race at Santa Anita in February. Mongolian Groom was third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on April 6 and second by a length in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 20.

In the $1 million Pacific Classic, Mongolian Groom was beaten 5 1/2 lengths by Higher Power and finished a neck behind Draft Pick for second.

Green Flash rematch in Eddie D

Mr Vargas and Eddie Haskell, the first two finishers of the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar, are on schedule for a rematch in the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 27.

Mr Vargas, trained by Brian Koriner for Samantha Siegel, worked a half-mile in 48.40 seconds on Saturday, his second workout of the month. Mr Vargas led throughout in his stakes debut in the Green Flash, winning by 2 1/4 lengths over Eddie Haskell.

Eddie Haskell, trained by Mark Glatt, was the 6-5 favorite in the Green Flash and was beaten for the first time since March. Eddie Haskell won sprint stakes on turf at Santa Anita in May and June.

The Eddie D Stakes is expected to include Stormy Liberal, the champion turf male of 2018, who was third in the Green Flash and fifth in the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint on Sept. 7.

The $200,000 Eddie D Stakes will be run at five furlongs on turf. It previously was run at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. The track is not using the hillside turf course for sprints at the autumn meeting, which begins on Sept. 27.

There have been no sprints on the hillside turf course since March 31, when Arms Runner sustained a fatal injury in the Grade 3 San Simeon Handicap on the course. From early April to late June, Santa Anita ran turf sprints at five furlongs.

For the upcoming autumn meeting, the track will run turf sprints at 5 1/2 furlongs for the first time, beginning on Sept. 28. Santa Anita officials have said in recent months that turf sprints on the hillside turf course are possible for the winter-spring meeting that begins on Dec. 26.

Law Abidin Citizen getting rest

Law Abidin Citizen, the winner of the Grade 3 Longacres Mile in August at Emerald Downs, is in the midst of a 60-day vacation on a farm and is scheduled to return to racing in 2020, trainer Mark Glatt said last weekend.

“He’s on some green grass and getting sun on his back,” Glatt said. “I thought it was good timing after the win.

“He went out pretty sound, but I felt like it was a good time to rest him.”

Owned by Dan Agnew, Gerry Schneider, and John Xitco, Law Abidin Citizen, 5, has won 6 of 23 starts and earned $416,167. He won the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on March 31, his fourth win in seven starts on the unique course.

Santa Anita has not run a sprint on the hillside turf course since March 31, but Glatt is hopeful the surface will be used during the winter-spring meeting that begins in December.

Los Al enters final week

The final week of the Los Angeles County Fair meeting at Los Alamitos begins on Thursday and continues through Sunday. The lone stakes of the weekend is Saturday’s $75,000 Capote Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs for 2-year-old colts and geldings who have not won a stakes worth $50,000 or more to the winner.

A race with similar conditions for fillies, the $75,000 Phone Chatter Stakes, will be run on Thursday.

The Santa Anita autumn meeting begins on Sept. 27 and runs through Nov. 3. The Breeders’ Cup races will be held on Nov. 1-2.