Collusion Illusion to skip Palos Verdes, be freshened for summer campaign

Collusion Illusion, winner of the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar last summer, will not start in Saturday’s Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita.

Trainer Mark Glatt said Collusion Illusion will be rested for a campaign in the second half of the year geared toward the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

“He’s going to skip the race,” Glatt said Wednesday. “We’re going to have a little bit of a break with him.

“He’s had a bit of a campaign. Recently, his attitude hasn’t been the best.”

Collusion Illusion finished third in the Grade 1 Runhappy Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds on Dec. 26, the sixth race of his 2020 campaign. Collusion Illusion has had one workout since the Malibu, going a half-mile in 48.40 seconds on Jan. 9.

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Owned by the partnership of Dan Agnew, Jerry Schneider, Rodney Orr, and MyRacehorse.com, Collusion Illusion has won 5 of 9 starts and earned $458,751. Aside from the Bing Crosby at six furlongs last August, Collusion Illusion was unbeaten in two starts there in 2019, including the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds.

The 2021 Bing Crosby is a long-range goal, along with the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 6 at Del Mar. Collusion Illusion was 12th of 14 in the BC Sprint at Keeneland in November.

“We feel like his Del Mar form is impeccable,” Glatt said. “We want him nice and fresh and mentally sharp going into the late spring, summer, and fall. Now would be as good a time as ever to give him a break.”

The $200,000 Palos Verdes at six furlongs is the first major sprint for older horses on dirt of the winter-spring meeting. The projected starters are Ax Man, Captain Scotty, Kneedeepinsnow, Pyron, Shashashakemeup, Shooters Shoot, Take the One O One, and Wildman Jack.

The Palos Verdes is the only graded stakes at Santa Anita this weekend. Sunday’s main race is the $70,000 Clocker’s Corner Stakes at six furlongs on turf, which is restricted to nonwinners of a graded stakes since the beginning of 2020.