Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
McKinzie prepared for another shot at Met Mile
Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has ridden McKinzie in 14 of his 16 races and for all eight of his wins. The latest win occurred in Sunday’s Grade 2 Triple Bend Stakes, the first time Smith was aboard McKinzie since September.
From Smith’s perspective, the tally should be nine victories.
Last June, McKinzie finished a troubled second to Mitole in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile Handicap at Belmont Park with Smith aboard. He raced in traffic through the final quartermile and was checked twice before losing by three-quarters of a length.
“He probably should have won it last year,” Smith said after McKinzie’s win Sunday. “I didn’t have the best of trips. I got shut off twice.”
Mitole, the champion sprinter of 2019, has been retired to stud. McKinzie’s next start is the $500,000 Metropolitan Mile on July 4.
In the $200,000 Triple Bend, Smith rode McKinzie with confidence, guiding the 5-yearold from last in a field of five to a contending position in the stretch. McKinzie ($3) won by 1 1/2 lengths over Fashionably Fast, who had won his last six starts, four in stakes for California-breds.
The Triple Bend was McKinzie’s first start since he finished 11th of 14 in the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 29 in Saudi Arabia. Joel Rosario replaced Smith on McKinzie for two races last fall and winter – a second in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita in November and the Saudi Cup.
Smith, 54, had an outstanding weekend at Santa Anita. Saturday, he won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on Kentucky Derby hopeful Honor A. P., and the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on the outstanding filly Swiss Skydiver.
“I’ve got to pinch myself,” he said.
Miller enjoys big week
Runners of all ages have kept trainer Peter Miller occupied in the last week.
Last Thursday, the 8-year-old Roy H, the champion sprinter of 2017 and 2018, worked three furlongs in 39.40 seconds at San Luis Rey Downs for a potential comeback after a lengthy layoff caused by foot ailments.
Last week at Santa Anita, Miller won two maiden special weight races with 2-year-olds – Bolden on Friday and Herd Immunity on Saturday. Saturday, Miller swept the exacta in the $85,875 Desert Code Stakes for 3-year-olds at 5 1/2 furlongs with She’s So Special and El Tigre Terrible.
Sunday, Miller won two more races – an allowance race with a $20,000 claiming option with Jamming Eddy, and a $62,500 claimer for maidens with Columbian Gold.
Bolden, a California-bred colt by Square Eddie, and Herd Immunity, a Kentucky-bred colt by Union Rags, were first-time starters. Bolden led throughout a five-furlong race for statebreds to win by 5 1/4 lengths.
Miller said the $100,000 Graduation Stakes for statebred 2-year-olds at 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar is a goal early at that track’s summer meeting for Bolden. Miller said he would consider running Bolden in open company this summer.
“We’ll nominate for the Futurity,” he said in reference to the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 7.
Herd Immunity could start in the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at six furlongs on Aug. 8, a prep for the $250,000 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs.
Roy H has not raced since winning the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita in February 2019. He was withdrawn from the Group 1 Golden Shaheen Sprint in Dubai in March 2019 because of a foot ailment.
Roy H worked once last September, but was given a lengthy break through the winter. A gelding, Roy H has won 10 of 23 starts and earned $3,129,765.
Mo Forza, winner of three graded stakes for 3-year-olds on turf in California last year, worked three furlongs in 39.20 seconds at San Luis Rey Downs on Sunday, his first workout of the spring. Mo Forza has not raced since a ninth-place finish in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational in January at Gulfstream Park.
Miller said the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on turf Aug. 23 is a summertime goal for Mo Forza.
El Tigre Terrible, who raced in traffic in early stretch of the Desert Code and finished a half-length behind the winner, the filly She’s So Special, could start in the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes at a mile on turf on Del Mar’s opening day, July 10.