Cistron to return in San Simeon Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Cistron, idle since winning last year’s Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar, heads the prospective field for the Grade 3, $100,000 San Simeon Stakes, which as of Friday had been twice-postponed.

Originally scheduled for Saturday, the San Simeon – a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint – was pushed back a day owing to wet weather, then to March 21 when Santa Anita decided it best to run all of its races this weekend on dirt.

Cistron won the Bing Crosby on dirt, and he is stakes-placed five times on turf.

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“I want to give him one race before taking him on the road,” said his trainer, John Sadler. “We‘ll probably end up on dirt, but we’ll start him off on turf. The old five-furlong turf sprints might have been too short for him. The extra half [furlong] will help.”

Among those nominated to the San Simeon is Voodoo Song, best known for winning the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga in 2018. Formerly trained by Linda Rice, he was transferred last November to Richard Mandella, for whom he would be making his first start.

Also postponed by one week, until March 22, is the $100,000 Irish O’Brien for California-bred female turf sprinters such as Stealthediamonds and Just Grazed Me, one-two on Jan. 18 in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint.