Dream Team, Desert Dynamo contenders with contrasting last-race performances
ARCADIA, Calif. – To win the featured seventh race Friday at Santa Anita, Dream Team only needs to reproduce his most recent start, a highly rated first-level allowance win at Los Alamitos.
The challenge for Desert Dynamo on Friday is to orchestrate a different trip than in his most recent start, a fourth as the odds-on favorite in a second-level allowance at Santa Anita.
Dream Team and Desert Dynamo are the leading contenders Friday in a second-level optional $62,500 claiming race. They face four others: Kristo, stretching out from a sprint; Baccelo, entered for the tag; the class-rising Tribal Jewel, and first-time gelding Just Kidding.
The card also includes the first five-furlong race of the meet open to 2-year-old males. In race 5, the cleverly named The All Button faces the Uncle Mo first-time starter Aqua Frio.
Race 7
KEY CONTENDERS
Dream Team, by Tapit
Last 3 Beyers: 98-84-76
◗ The career-best effort last out by Dream Team was at the expense of a questionable field. Runner-up Dreaming of Gold returned to finish fourth as the favorite; three others returned to finish off the board.
Bob Baffert trains Dream Team, a full brother to Rebel Stakes winner Cupid and a half to stakes winners Indianapolis, Heart Ashley, and Ashley’s Kitty.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Dream Team. Trainer Bob Baffert is 18-10-3-1 with a $3.04 ROI over the past five years in dirt routes with last-out winners in the third start following a layoff of 45 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Desert Dynamo, by Desert Party
Last 3 Beyers: 90-89-96
◗ Jerry Hollendorfer and assistant Dan Ward train Desert Dynamo, whose odds-on defeat last out was partly the result of mistaken strategy. He set the pace and tired in the final eighth.
“He would rather stalk the pace rather than be on the lead with someone head-and-head with him,” Ward said. From the outside post in a field of six, Desert Dynamo should get his preferred trip.
◗ He also is reunited with Mario Gutierrez, who rode him to a second-place finish last fall in the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Kristo. Trainer John Sadler is 42-13-9-4 with a $3.16 ROI over the past five years going sprint to route on dirt at Santa Anita with less than 45 days since the last start. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Race 5
KEY CONTENDERS
The All Button, by Into Mischief
◗ He was purchased for $250,000 at a 2-year-old sale in March and debuts with a solid Santa Anita work pattern for trainer Doug O’Neill. Flavien Prat rides.
Beantown Boys, by Midnight Lute
◗ O’Neill also trains this first-time starter, who has worked fast at Los Alamitos. Gutierrez is his rider.
Aqua Frio, by Uncle Mo
◗ Based in Northern California with trainer Blaine Wright, he shipped to Santa Anita on Monday along with stablemate Alert Bay, who runs Saturday in the Crystal Water Stakes.
◗ Wright said Aqua Frio appears to have speed. He said the colt came away from the gate well in works at Golden Gate.
“You never know what to expect with a first-time starter, but he’s done everything right,” Wright said. “I’m going to assume he is going to have natural speed.”
◗ Tyler Baze rides.