Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
SANTA ANITA Class test for All Out Blitz
ARCADIA, Calif. – The Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday will provide a vital test for the 3-year-old All Out Blitz on a couple of fronts.
The $100,000 race will be the first start at a mile and the stakes debut for All Out Blitz, a promising maiden-race winner last month.
“It’s time to try two turns and test the company,” trainer Simon Callaghan said on Wednesday.
The Sham field is coming up with surprising depth. McKinzie, the winner via disqualification of the Grade 1 Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity on Dec. 9, is among seven probable starters.
All Out Blitz, owned by breeder Kaleem Shah, won a six-furlong maiden race by a nose at Los Alamitos on Dec. 17 after finishing fifth and third in his first two starts, which came in October and November. Since the win, All Out Blitz has worked quickly, notably a halfmile in 47 seconds on Dec. 27.
All Out Blitz’s behavior since the workout clinched his appearance in the Sham Stakes, Callaghan said.
“We wanted to monitor him out of his recent workout,” Callaghan said. “Initially, we were thinking of waiting, but he’s showing signs of doing good.”
The Sham Stakes is the first stakes for 3-year-olds in Southern California this year and is part of the buildup to the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 7.
Other candidates for the Sham Stakes include City Plan, Here is Happy, Mourinho, My Boy Jack, and Shivermetimbers.
Trainer Bob Baffert said McKinzie will not race with blinkers, even though he wore them in the Los Alamitos Futurity.
Baffert said that Mourinho, who was second in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 11, will be fitted with blinkers. Mourinho wore blinkers for his first two starts, including a maiden-race win, but not in the Bob Hope Stakes.
Collected, West Coast drill
Collected and West Coast, who were second and third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar in November, worked at Santa Anita on Wednesday in advance of the $16 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27.
Collected, who finished third in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, worked five furlongs in 59 seconds in company with stablemate Cat Burglar, who was timed in 59.60 seconds.
Collected was beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Giant Expectations as the 3-10 favorite in the San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. Collected failed to take his customary place near the front of the field and was never a threat to Giant Expectations, who set the pace.
“The tactics were wrong,” trainer Bob Baffert said.
Giant Expectations is a candidate for the Pegasus World Cup.
On Wednesday, West Coast was timed in 1:12 for six furlongs. He worked with stablemate Power Cat, who was timed in 1:13.80.
“I think he got a lot out of it,” Baffert said of West Coast.
West Coast has not raced since the BC Classic, where he finished 3 1/2 lengths behind Gun Runner, who will be favored in the Pegasus World Cup.
Injury threatens Bolo’s career
Bolo, a multiple graded stakes winner on turf who was training super for his comeback, was injured in his final workout Dec. 30 at Santa Anita and will not run in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes on Saturday.
The winner of the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes at Santa Anita the last two seasons and a stakes winner at ages 2, 4, and 5, Bolo has won five races and $675,390 from 17 starts. His racing future is uncertain. Trainer Carla Gaines did not specify the nature of his injury.
“It was severe enough he’s going to need time,” Gaines said Wednesday at her Santa Anita stable. “We just have to see. He’s 6. That is the issue.”
Owned by Golden Pegasus Racing and Earle Mack LLC, Bolo won the Eddie Logan Stakes on turf as a 2-year-old in 2014 and finished 12th in the 2015 Kentucky Derby, won by American Pharoah.
Bolo had been working impressively for the San Gabriel. “Never been better, training brilliantly, couldn’t wait to enter,” Gaines said.
Bolo is from the first crop sired by Temple City, and is the leading male money winner by that sire. The filly Miss Temple City earned $1,680,091.
With Bolo out of the San Gabriel, the top contenders for the 1 1/8-mile turf race are expected to be Flamboyant, He Will, and Isotherm.
Probe into jockey-valet fight
Jockey Martin Pedroza and valet Max Corrales may face sanctions for fighting in the jockeys’ room at Santa Anita last Friday.
Santa Anita steward Scott Chaney said the California Horse Racing Board has launched an investigation into the incident, which could lead to a formal complaint and a hearing. A fine or suspension may be levied, pending the results of the hearing.
On Monday, Pedroza met informally with the stewards to discuss the situation. Pedroza said the argument stemmed from his desire for certain valets to saddle his horses.
Both Pedroza and Corrales received medical attention on Friday. Pedroza was taken off his final two mounts on Friday’s program and did not ride Saturday or Sunday. He was winless with three mounts on Monday.
Corrales works as an exercise rider at Southern California tracks.
On Monday, Pedroza also met with Tim Ritvo to discuss the incident. Ritvo is the chief operating officer of The Stronach Group, the parent company of Santa Anita. Ritvo said on Monday he planned to meet with Corrales this week.