Bold Endeavor takes next step

Bold Endeavor may have run in claiming races as recently as November, but he was held in high enough regard to be nominated for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap last month.

Bold Endeavor did not start in that race, but was a game second in an allowance at 1 1/16 miles on the undercard of that March 6 program.

For now, Bold Endeavor remains in allowance races. A 5-year-old gelding, Bold Endeavor starts in an allowance race at a mile at Santa Anita on Saturday where he has an excellent chance for a sixth career win in his 21st start.

There is a possibility the allowance race could be a prep for a stakes later this spring.

“We’ll see how it goes,” trainer Mark Glatt said. “Every now and then you can claim a horse that gets good and take a shot in stakes. It’s something we can float around if he does well.”

The Big Cap “didn’t seem like the right thing at the time,” Glatt said.

In the allowance race on March 6, Bold Endeavor led in the stretch and was beaten a half-length by Mastering. Bold Endeavor was the 5-2 favorite and may have the same role in Saturday’s race.

The allowance race is expected to lose a prominent runner in Country Grammer, the winner of the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes at Saratoga last July when trained by Chad Brown. New trainer Bob Baffert said on Thursday that he plans to withdraw Country Grammer in favor of a start in the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on April 17. Country Grammer has not raced since a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga last August.

Saturday’s allowance tops a nine-race program consisting entirely of dirt races.

Bold Endeavor, who is owned by Bill Branch, William Buster Jr., and Mark Cohen, will be ridden by Flavien Prat, leading rider at the meeting. Prat has not ridden Bold Endeavor since a win in an allowance race at Santa Anita in January 2020.

Bold Endeavor could gain a favorable trip if Charlito and Lambeau take their customary positions near the front of the field. Charlito, who will be ridden by apprentice jockey Jessica Pyfer for trainer Richard Mandella, led throughout an allowance race at a mile on Feb. 20.

Lambeau, who will be ridden by Edwin Maldonado for John Shirreffs, has not raced since he finished sixth of seven in an allowance race at a mile at Del Mar last July. Lambeau won an allowance race at a mile at Santa Anita last May, his second career win.

Glatt is hopeful that Bold Endeavor can stalk the pace while racing off the rail.

“He seems to be very game when he’s on the outside,” Glatt said.

Bold Endeavor was claimed for $50,000 at Del Mar in November. In three starts this year for Glatt and the partnership. Bold Endeavor has won once and earned $55,500.

This will be the first start on dirt since last summer for Taishan, who finished a quiet seventh in an allowance race at a mile on turf on Feb. 13. Taishan was third in the Oaklawn Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on dirt at Oaklawn Park last April.