Catch a Flight favored in Gold Cup

ARCADIA, Calif. – Catch a Flight has come a long way in a short time. On Saturday at Santa Anita, five months after he lost his U.S. debut in a first-level allowance, the Argentine-bred, Brazilian-raced import is favored to win the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita.

Eleven older horses entered the $500,000 Gold Cup, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race in which Catch a Flight, trained by Richard Mandella, is the 5-2 favorite on the morning line set by track oddsmaker Jon White.

Catch a Flight won the Grade 3 Precisionist and Grade 2 Californian in his last two starts, but he is no slam dunk while stretching to 1 1/4 miles in the Gold Cup. His main rivals include Grade 1 winners Moreno and Hoppertunity; Grade 1 turf winner Finnegans Wake; and the rapidly improved California-bred stakes winner Motown Men.

Batti Man, Hard Aces, Poshsky, Majestic City, Big Cazanova, and Lideris also entered the Gold Cup, race 9 on a 10-race card.

Three graded stakes precede the Gold Cup – the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf is race 6, the Grade 1 Triple Bend at seven furlongs is race 7, and the Grade 2 Royal Heroine for fillies and mares at a mile on turf is race 8.

Catch a Flight drew post 9 in the Gold Cup, with Gary Stevens to ride. Although post position can be overemphasized in a 1 1/4-mile race, that is not the case for the horse who might be Catch a Flight’s main rival. He is Moreno, and he drew perfectly.

Moreno, a front-runner who finished second to Catch a Flight last out, drew outside the two other Gold Cup front-runners. Those are Batti Man in post 1 and Big Cazanova in post 7. Motown Men, another horse with tactical speed, drew post 4.

Moreno is trained by Eric Guillot, who said the gelding “is better when he’s outside horses.” The gelding will be ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, who guided Moreno to an upset win two starts back in the Charles Town Classic.

The field for the Gold Cup at Santa Anita, with jockeys and program odds:
1. Batti Man, Fernando Perez (30-1)
2. Hard Aces, Victor Espinoza (12-1)
3. Poshsky, Flavien Prat (30-1)
4. Motown Men, Tyler Baze (6-1)
5. Majestic City, C.C. Lopez (12-1)
6. Hoppertunity, Martin Garcia (7-2)
7. Big Cazanova, Corey Nakatani (12-1)
8. Moreno, Cornelio Velasquez (7-2)
9. Catch a Flight, Gary Stevens (5-2)
10. Lideris, Joe Talamo (50-1)
11. Finnegans Wake, Mike Smith (6-1)

Grade 3 Senorita Stakes

Curlin’s Fox is expected to be favored in the Senorita Stakes. A field of nine entered the $100,000 race, including stakes-winning sprinter Long Hot Summer, Miss Double d’Oro, and Avenge.

Carla Gaines trains Curlin’s Fox, who is stretching out after an allowance turf-sprint romp against older fillies and mares. Although she lost both previous route races, Curlin’s Fox had an alibi for both. She bled while finishing second in the China Doll Stakes on March 7 and bled again while finishing fourth in the Santa Anita Oaks on dirt April 4.

Gaines managed the bleeding issue, and Curlin’s Fox responded last out with the best race of her 2-for-4 career. Facing older fillies and mares in a first-level allowance turf sprint, Curlin’s Fox exploded to win by more than four lengths. The filly she defeated, Divina Comedia, returned to win.

Mike Smith rides Curlin’s Fox, whose main rivals include stretch-out sprinter Long Hot Summer and improving allowance filly Miss Double d’Oro.

Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes

An evenly matched field of sprinters goes in the Triple Bend Stakes. The $300,000 race includes 5-for-7 Masochistic, who won the Grade 2 Kona Gold in his most recent start April 11. That was his first start since he was transferred to trainer Ron Ellis. Masochistic drew post 5 in the seven-horse field and should get a pressing trip racing in the clear under Tyler Baze.

Jerry Hollendorfer entered two, including 2013 Met Mile winner Sahara Sky, third by a length in the Kona Gold. That was the 7-year-old’s first start since he finished sixth and last in the 2014 Triple Bend.

Sahara Sky is the most accomplished horse in the Triple Bend, having won eight races and $1,169,578 from 22 starts.

The second Hollendorfer entrant is Wild Dude, a Grade 2 winner stretching out from a third-place finish in the Grade 3, six-furlong Los Angeles Stakes.

San Onofre, the runner-up in three straight sprint stakes, will be among the pacesetters. He might have been compromised by the draw. San Onofre drew post 2 in the field of seven. Others in the field include Blue Tone, Appealing Tale, and Holy Lute.

Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes

Consistent closer Blingismything will hope for pace to run at in the Royal Heroine Stakes, and she might get it. The front-runners include Birdlover, Fanticola, and One More. Other entrants in the $200,000 race include comebacker Stormy Lucy, Alexis Tangier, Famous Alice, Generoisidade, Queen of The Sand, and Mangita.

Eric Kruljac trains Blingismything, who runs best when she sits back and blasts home. That did not happen in her last start, a close third in the Grade 1 Gamely. Blingismything pressed the slow pace from second, tired, and finished third by three-quarters.

“This race looks like it has more pace,” Kruljac said. “We might be able to sit back three of four lengths. Last time, we had to go up and force the pace.”