Blue Tone fresh, fit for Santana Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – Blue Tone has not raced in more than nine months, which is of little concern to trainer Bob Hess Jr. in advance of Saturday’s $75,000 Santana Mile at Santa Anita.

“I think he’s better than ever and 100 percent,” Hess said. “We have no excuse going in if we’re not good enough.”

Blue Tone won the 2015 Santana Mile, his only victory in six starts last year. Blue Tone has not raced since finishing sixth in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes for sprinters here last June. Last summer, Hess decided Blue Tone needed a rest.

“He was body stiff,” he said. “He wasn’t moving fluidly like he normally does. He just needed time.”

Blue Tone is part of a field of six in the Santana Mile. Blue Tone has won 5 of 17 starts and at 7 is the oldest runner in the race.

“He’s lightly raced, so I don’t consider him to be a true 7-year-old,” Hess said.

The field includes Cat Burglar, who was fourth in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes behind Hoppertunity on Feb. 6. Hoppertunity was third in the $10 million Dubai World Cup last Saturday.

The Santana Mile will be the stakes debut for Songforjohnmichael, a 5-year-old gelding who has won three consecutive starts since early October 2014. Songforjohnmichael missed all of 2015 because of an injury and won his comeback in an optional claimer March 5.

“I hope he’s up to running a big race after such a good race with a year and a half off,” trainer Dan Hendricks said.