Bombard leads all the way in Daytona Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - When Bombard pulled away from fellow pacesetter Law Abidin Citizen in early stretch of Saturday’s Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at Santa Anita, a second test emerged.

Commander, rallying wide, moved closer enough for jockey Flavien Prat to worry Bombard would be caught late.

“At the eighth pole, I didn’t think I could win,” Prat said. “When he felt those horses coming up, he regrouped and went on.”

Bombard ($3.40) repelled the challenge of 6-1 Commander to win the Daytona by 1 1/4 lengths over 9-1 Majestic Eagle, who closed from last to finish a head in front of Commander.

Law Abidin Citizen, in his first start since August, faded to finish fourth, ahead of Jamming Eddy in the small field.

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Bombard ran 6 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:14.47 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 97. Bombard led from the start, with Law Abidin Citizen within a half-length, through an opening quarter-mile in 21.63 seconds.

Bombard won his 2021 stakes debut, and the first graded stakes of his career, in the $100,000 Daytona Stakes. An 8-year-old gelding, Bombard was a game second in his first start this year, finishing a half-length behind Gregorian Chant in a six-furlong allowance race on turf on April 25.

Gregorian Chant, the winner of two sprint stakes on turf earlier this year at Santa Anita, is a candidate for the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes at six furlongs on turf at Belmont Park on June 5.

Prat gave Bombard a similar ride in the Daytona as he did in the April 25 allowance race, urging the gelding to the front at the start.

“I put him in the race,” Prat said. “That’s what he likes to do.”

Owned by Ramona and Perry Bass, Adele Dilschneider, and Waddell Hancock, Bombard is trained by Richard Mandella. Last fall, Bombard was second in the Grade 3 Runhappy Turf Sprint Stakes at six furlongs at Kentucky Downs in September and eighth of 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland in November with Prat aboard for both races.

By War Front, Bombard has won 6 of 18 starts and has earned $459,771. Bombard was fitted with blinkers for the first time Saturday.

Earlier in his career, Bombard won the minor Siren Lure Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in June 2018 and the restricted Wickerr Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar in 2019.