Epical headed to Belmont Park for Man o' War

ARCADIA, Calif. – Epical, who won a stakes for the first time in the Grade 2 San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita on March 29, is being pointed for the Grade 1 Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park on May 11, trainer Jim Cassidy said on Sunday.

The $700,000 Man o’ War Stakes is run at 1 3/8 miles on turf and will be a class test for Epical, who races for Deron Pearson. A 4-year-old gelding, Epical has won 4 of 11 starts and earned $279,980, but has yet to run in a Grade 1 race. On Feb. 9, Epical was a fast-closing second in the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf.

Tyler Baze is scheduled to ride Epical in the Man o’ War Stakes, one of four graded stakes at Belmont Park on May 11.

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* Jockey Mario Gutierrez will serve a three-day suspension after losing an appeal of a suspension initially issued in November.

Santa Anita stewards Grant Baker, Luis Jauregui, and Kim Sawyer issued a ruling on Saturday suspending Gutierrez on April 27-28 and May 3. Gutierrez was suspended at Del Mar on Nov. 10 for causing interference in the Kathryn Crosby Stakes on Nov. 9, resulting in Excellent Sunset being disqualified from first to second.

Gutierrez appealed the decision to the California Horse Racing Board, which voted last week not to overturn the suspension.

Gutierrez, 32, won the Kentucky Derby on I’ll Have Another (2012) and Nyquist (2016).