Chips All In brings experience on hillside course into Siren Lure Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – With division leader Sweet Swap being rested until the Del Mar summer meeting, there will be a new 2014 stakes winner in Sunday’s $75,000 Siren Lure Stakes for turf sprinters at Santa Anita.

Sweet Swap won the Joe Hernandez Stakes in February and the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes in April. Without him in the field, past stakes winners such as Chips All In, Pure Tactics, and Rosengold are capable of wins in the race over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.

Chips All In, trained by Jeff Mullins for a partnership, is likely to go favored in the field of six. A five-time stakes winner, Chips All In won two stakes on the hillside in 2013 – the Grade 3 San Simeon in April and the Grade 3 Eddie D Stakes in September. Chips All In was ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint here last November.

After losing twice in December, including a fourth in the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes on the hillside turf course, Chips All In was rested through the winter. He returned to finish a well-beaten second to Obviously in the Grade 3 American Stakes over a mile on May 14, a race that drew only four runners.

Pure Tactics chased Sweet Swap earlier this year, finishing third in the Hernandez and a troubled fourth in the San Simeon after a poor start. Purchased privately earlier this year, Pure Tactics won the minor Barksdale Stakes over a mile on turf at Louisiana Downs last summer.

“We’re happy with his progress so far,” trainer Doug O’Neill said.

Rafael Bejarano rode Pure Tactics in his last two starts, but is out with a collarbone injury. Mike Smith has the mount on Pure Tactics in the Siren Lure, and has been aboard for recent workouts, O’Neill said.

“When he gets a chance to know the horse and gets confidence in them, they seem to jump up a few lengths,” O’Neill said.

Pure Tactics is a closer, who could benefit if a fast pace develops between Rosengold and Artest, the upset winner of an optional claimer on the hillside turf course on May 11.

Rosengold, trained by Julio Canani, was seventh in the Hernandez in his most recent start. In 2013, Rosengold was briefly the leading 3-year-old turf male division in California, winning three consecutive stakes. He struggled at Del Mar in the summer, where his best finish in two stakes was a fourth in a division of the Oceanside Stakes last July.

Rosengold won the Baffle Stakes for 3-year-olds on the hillside turf course in March 2013.

County Lineman and Zimmer are the other runners.

County Lineman won an off-the-turf $75,000 claimer at a mile in February at Santa Anita, his first start for trainer Vladimir Cerin and owners David and Holly Wilson. County Lineman was third behind Artest on May 11.

Zimmer won a $50,000 claimer on the hillside turf course in January and was second to Sweet Swap in the Hernandez. Zimmer was distanced in the San Simeon under Smith.

An 8-year-old, Zimmer had four workouts in May. Apprentice jockey Drayden Van Dyke has the mount in the Siren Lure.