D'Amato hoping Shut Up Michael makes some noise

DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Phil D’Amato has had plenty of success with European imports in recent years and hopes to have another nugget in Shut Up Michael, a maiden who makes his first U.S. start in Sunday’s fifth race at Del Mar after finishing third in his lone prior start at Sandown Park in Great Britain.

“He’s a high-energy horse. We’ve spent a lot of time trying to get him to settle, get used to his surroundings and how we do things here,” D’Amato said Friday morning. “In terms of being a runner, he shows a lot of promise.”

D’Amato will try to end the meet on a high note with Tony Ann, who won a maiden turf sprint in her last start at Santa Anita and now will stretch out to 1 1/8 miles in a first-level allowance in race 9, the meet’s final race.

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“She’s bred to go two turns,” D’Amato said of the daughter of Cairo Prince. “We’ll test the waters, see what she does, and if it doesn’t work out we can revert to shorter distances.”

◗ Jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. is serving a three-day suspension this week, ending Sunday, after an appeal of a ruling against him in May during Santa Anita’s main winter-spring meeting was denied.

◗ Jockey Brayan Pena was fined $750 by Del Mar’s stewards for overuse of the whip in the second race last Sunday, his second offense in the past 60 days. His mount finished second.

◗ Jockey Wayne Barnett was fined $500 for a whip offense, his first, in the seventh race Nov. 20, in which he finished eighth.