Conquest Enforcer goes after the big boys in Arcadia Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – With eight career starts, Conquest Enforcer has already won five stakes, including the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile for 3-year-olds on turf at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

His stakes wins have come in age-restricted races, a category that is behind Conquest Enforcer. A 4-year-old colt by Into Mischief, Conquest Enforcer will try to win a stakes against older horses in Saturday’s $200,000 Arcadia Mile on turf at Santa Anita.

“I don’t think there will be a hiccup in the change of age group,” trainer Phil D’Amato said last weekend.

Owned by the partnership of Loooch Racing Stable, Imaginary Racing, and Raquel Ritchie, Conquest Enforcer was third against older horses twice in Grade 2 sprints on turf at Woodbine last year – a one-length loss in the Play the King Stakes in August and a neck loss as the favorite in the Nearctic Stakes in October.

Conquest Enforcer was bought for $785,000 by his current owners from the Conquest Stable dispersal at Keeneland in November. He earned $120,000 toward the purchase with the win in the Mathis Brothers Mile as the 9-5 favorite.

On Sunday, Conquest Enforcer worked six furlongs on the Santa Anita main track in 1:13.40. D’Amato described the work as “sensational.”

“It was the way he did it on a slow track,” he said. “I think he passed about eight horses.”

The Grade 2 Arcadia Mile will have a small field. Aside from Conquest Enforcer, the candidates include Bolo, who won the 2016 Arcadia Mile, Ohio, Ring Weekend, and What a View. Ring Weekend won the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar in November in his last start on turf. What a View won the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile in 2016 and was second to Ashleyluvssugar in the California Cup Turf Classic on Jan. 28.

There are three Grade 2 races at Santa Anita this weekend. On Saturday, Vale Dori tries to win her third consecutive Grade 2 race in the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles against Autumn Flower, Midnight Toast, and Show Stealer.

Sunday’s leading race is the $200,000 San Vicente Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs. D’Amato will start Big Hit, who was third in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at a mile Jan. 7, against the maiden-race winners Aquamarine, Battle of Midway, and Iliad.

The lone shipper is Classic Rock, who will have his stakes debut after winning a maiden race and an optional claimer at Gulfstream Park in his last two starts.