Balladeer set to make 2024 debut in San Marcos Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – By Thanksgiving weekend a few months ago, Balladeer was a tired gelding. He could only manage a fourth in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup in his second start of November and his 11th start of 2023.

“We ran him too much, with the Breeders’ Cup and all that,” trainer George Papaprodromou reflected last weekend.

A 5-year-old, Balladeer had a brief rest in December before resuming training in advance of his 2024 debut in Saturday’s Grade 3 San Marcos Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita.

Papaprodromou, who trains Balladeer on behalf of Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran, is hopeful that the rest will propel Balladeer to the winner’s circle for the first time since the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita last October.

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“We’ve freshened him up a little bit,” Papaprodromou said. “It’s all good.”

Balladeer began the 2023 season in allowance races. He won an allowance race in his fourth start of the year in June and was in peak form in late summer and early fall, winning an allowance race at Kentucky Downs before the John Henry Turf Classic.

In the BC Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 4, Balladeer set the pace before fading to finish ninth of 11 at 63-1.

The $100,000 San Marcos is one of six stakes on Saturday and Sunday at Santa Anita, a lineup that includes the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on Saturday.

Other candidates for the San Marcos include Missed the Cut, who was second in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Dec. 26; Planetario, who won the Hollywood Turf Cup; and War At Sea, who won the Golden Gate Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the synthetic track at Golden Gate Fields on Nov. 4 and was later fourth in the San Gabriel.

Trainer Richard Mandella said on Sunday that Planetario may start in the San Marcos as a prep for the $2.5 million Red Sea Handicap at 1 7/8 miles on turf in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 25.

Trainer Phil D’Amato said he may run Prince Abama, but also has the 6-year-old gelding nominated for Saturday’s Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile on turf. Prince Abama has not raced since he won his third consecutive stakes in the 2023 San Marcos last February.

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