Bombard, Law Abidin Citizen meet sans Lasix in Daytona Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – The five-runner Grade 3 Daytona Stakes sets an uneasy tone Saturday at Santa Anita. The turf sprint is race 5, followed by the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham with four entrants and Grade 2 Triple Bend with five.

Field size has plummeted at Santa Anita, a trend that will continue through Memorial Day. Only a handful run in the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks on Sunday, and small fields are expected in the three Grade 1’s on Monday – the Hollywood Gold Cup, Shoemaker Mile, and Gamely.

A diminished horse population, high purses out of state, and a medication policy that disallows Lasix in stakes are underlying reasons for this weekend’s small fields. It’s an unfortunate situation, starting with the Daytona.

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Only five of the 13 Daytona nominees entered, led by stakes winners Bombard and Law Abidin Citizen. Majestic Eagle is a distance comebacker using the 6 1/2-furlong Daytona as a prep, Jamming Eddy and Commander are claiming-caliber veterans taking a shot for a $100,000 purse.

Gregorian Chant, the top local turf sprinter, was nominated to the Daytona but will aim to the Grade 1, $400,000 Jaipur on June 5 at Belmont.

That leaves five for the Daytona, and Bombard as the likely favorite based on his runner-up comeback in an open allowance one month ago. Bombard set the pace to deep stretch and was worn down by Gregorian Chant.

Richard Mandella trains Bombard, whose rider is Flavien Prat. An 8-year-old gelding, he has won five races, including listed stakes in 2018 and 2019, and earned $399,771 from 17 starts. Bombard is the “now” horse, adding blinkers, with an up-front running style. He did not use Lasix in either of his stakes wins.

Law Abidin Citizen is the “class” of the race, a two-time graded winner making his first start since a pair of thirds last summer at Del Mar in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby and Grade 2 Pat O’Brien. But things have changed since the 7-for-28 veteran last raced nine months ago.

“He’s ready,” trainer Mark Glatt said, with a qualifier. “I’m not really wanting to run him without Lasix. He’s run with Lasix his whole life, and you put him in a situation first time back without it. If he bleeds first start back, he’s 7 years old, that might be it.”

Law Abidin Citizen has raced each of the past five years, since he was a 2-year-old. His biggest wins were a pair of Grades 3’s in 2019 – the Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs and San Simeon on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita.

“We’ve always done right by the horse, always given him time when he needed it,” Glatt said. Regarding the new Lasix regulation, he added, “We knew this day was coming, but it’s disheartening to put all the time and money and do right by the horse and be put in a situation like this first time back.”

Abel Cedillo rides Law Abidin Citizen.