Eddie D looking like a Green Flash rematch

Mr Vargas and Eddie Haskell, the first two finishers of the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar, are on schedule for a rematch in the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 27.

Mr Vargas, trained by Brian Koriner for Samantha Siegel, worked a half-mile in 48.40 seconds on Saturday, his second workout of the month. Mr Vargas won his stakes debut in the Green Flash by 2 1/4 lengths over Eddie Haskell, leading throughout.

Eddie Haskell, trained by Mark Glatt, was the 6-5 favorite in the Green Flash and was beaten for the first time since March. Eddie Haskell won two sprint stakes on turf at Santa Anita in May and June.

The Eddie D Stakes is expected to include Stormy Liberal, the champion turf male of 2018 who was third in the Green Flash and fifth in the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint on Sept. 7.

The $200,000 Eddie D Stakes will be run at five furlongs on turf, having previously been run at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. The track is not using the hillside turf course for sprints at the autumn meeting, which begins on Sept. 27.

There have been no sprints on the hillside turf course since March 31 when Arms Runner sustained a fatal injury in the Grade 3 San Simeon Handicap on the course. From early April to late June, Santa Anita ran turf sprints at five furlongs.

For the upcoming autumn meeting, the track will run turf sprints at 5 1/2 furlongs for the first time, beginning on Sept. 28. Santa Anita officials have said in recent months that turf sprints on the hillside turf course are possible for the winter-spring meeting that begins on Dec. 26.