Bad Read Sanchez in W.L. Proctor spotlight
CYPRESS, Calif. – Trainer Doug O’Neill has four of the six entrants in Sunday’s $100,000 W.L. Proctor Memorial Stakes for 2-year-olds at Los Alamitos. Of his runners, he is most encouraged by the progress of Bad Read Sanchez.
“Our main goal was to get him in the race,” O’Neill said. “He’s doing great.”
O’Neill said on Thursday that he plans to run Wake Up Nick and Henry’s Holiday, who were first and fourth in the Santa Anita Juvenile on June 22, as well as the first-time starter Litigation Road.
Bad Read Sanchez, Wake Up Nick, and Litigation Road are owned by Paul and Zillah Reddam. Henry’s Holiday is owned by Success Racing, a limited partnership controlled by O’Neill’s brother, Dennis.
“We hope to run all four,” O’Neill said.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Bad Read Sanchez – Trainer Doug O’Neill is 1 for 18 (winner was Wake Up Nick, also entered in this race) over the past two years with two-year-olds making their second start on dirt. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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The Proctor Stakes is one of two six-furlong races for 2-year-olds on Sunday’s final program of the Los Alamitos summer Thoroughbred meeting. Sunday’s eighth race is the $100,000 Cinderella Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. Del Mar opens its summer season Thursday.
Bad Read Sanchez won a five-furlong maiden race by 10 lengths at Santa Anita on June 20. By Warrior’s Reward, Bad Read Sanchez fought for the early lead and drew off in the final furlong. Mario Gutierrez, who was aboard for the win in the maiden race, has the mount Sunday.
Gutierrez rode Wake Up Nick to wins in a maiden race May 1 and the Santa Anita Juvenile on June 22. Saul Arias rides Wake Up Nick on Sunday.
O’Neill said he does not have high expectations on Sunday for Litigation Road, a colt by Bellamy Road.
“He’s probably geared more toward two turns,” he said.
In the Santa Anita Juvenile, Wake Up Nick finished three-quarters of a length in front of Story to Tell, who starts in the Proctor. Trained by Dan Hendricks, Story to Tell is a threat from off the pace.
The field also includes Peradventure, a sharp maiden race winner against California-breds for trainer Scott Rollins on June 27 in his career debut.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Story to Tell – Trainer Dan Hendricks and jockey Joe Talamo have combined for five wins from 19 starts ($3.44 ROI) on dirt surfaces over the past two years.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Peradventure – Trainer Scott Rollins is 0 for 12 (with only one in the money) and six that registered a Beyer speed figure of 0 or -1 in the second career start, over the past five years.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
The Cinderella Stakes drew a field of six led by Heart of Paradise, a filly by More Than Ready who won her debut by 2 1/2 lengths over five furlongs at Santa Anita on June 5. Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Heart of Paradise will be ridden by Mike Smith.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Heart of Paradise – Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is 10 for 19 (53% win rate and $1.98 ROI) and 18 of 19 in the money over the past five years with two-year-olds that went favored in their second career start after winning their debut.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
The field includes the maiden race winners Global Heart and Shh She’s Ours and the maidens Abets Abet, La Grange, and Slew’s Charm.
Shh She’s Ours is making a quick turnaround, having won a maiden race over five furlongs at Los Alamitos on July 4. Trained by Paul Aguirre, Shh She’s Ours led throughout and won by 1 3/4 lengths after leading by four lengths in the stretch.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Shh She's Ours – Trainer Paul Aguirre is 1 for 27 ($0.60 ROI) over the past five years in the start following a maiden victory. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Abets Abet, winless in three starts, was fifth after a troubled start in the Landaluce Stakes at Santa Anita in June. Trained by Mike Harrington, Abets Abet will be fitted with blinkers for the first time in the Cinderella.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: La Grange – Over the past five years, Trainer Keith Desormeaux is 2 for 60 ($0.21 ROI) with debuting two-year-olds but 7 for 47 ($3.06 ROI) with two-year-olds in their second career start.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Race 7 - No. 5 Sharla Rae – Over the past year trainer Doug O’Neill is 4 for 18 ($3.26 ROI, 6 ITM) with two-year-old first time starters sprinting on dirt in maiden special weight company. Click for more details. – Matt Bernier