ARCADIA, Calif. - The two-time stakes winner Goliad will play a pivotal role in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita on May 26. Ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar last November in his most recent race, the 8-year-old Goliad almost always sets the pace. The strategy failed in the BC Mile when Goliad faded through the stretch to finish ninth, 6 3/4 lengths behind More than Looks. Racing from the front, however, worked spectacularly at Kentucky Downs late last summer when Goliad won the $481,200 Tight Spot Handicap at a mile on Sept. 1 and the Grade 3 Mint Millions Stakes, a one-mile race worth $1.8 million, on Sept. 7. Goliad will be ridden for the first time by Mike Smith in the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile, which equals the richest race of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting. Owned by Ramona and Perry Bass, Goliad is trained by Richard Mandella, who acknowledged on Sunday that the Shoemaker will be a difficult race for a first start of the year. :: Santa Anita Clocker Reports are available every race day. Access now. “I wish I had an easier race,” Mandella said. Goliad has had a steady pattern of workouts since late January, including six furlongs in 1:12.60 on the infield training track at Santa Anita on April 28. “He’s always been a good work horse,” Mandella said. As an 8-year-old, Goliad will be the senior member of the Shoemaker Mile field. The list of candidates includes Atitlan, Cabo Spirit, Endlessly, Formidable Man, King of Gosford, Mi Hermano Ramon and the Mandella-trained Seal Team. Goliad’s age is not a concern for Mandella, a member of the Hall of Fame. His career record with older horses is exemplary. Sitting in his stable office on Sunday morning, he recalled the success of The Tin Man, who had a career-best year in 2006 with five stakes wins at the age of 8. “He won the Arlington Million when he was 8,” Mandella said. The following year, The Tin Man won the Shoemaker Mile at Hollywood Park in the final start of his career. The Shoemaker Mile is one of three graded stakes on Monday’s Memorial Day program. Fllies and mares willmeet in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf. The program includes the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles on dirt. The leading candidates for the $300,000 Gamely Stakes are Be Your Best, who won the Grade 2 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park in January, but was last of eight in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland on April 12; Liguria, winner of the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes at a mile on March 1; No Show Sammy Jo, who won the All Along Stakes at Laurel Park last September and was seventh in the Jenny Wiley; and Public Assembly, winner of the Grade 3 Royal Heroine Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on April 26. The $200,000 Gold Cup will not have a large field. Skippylongstocking, winner of 10 of 31 starts, will be a strong favorite in his first start in California since a sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar last November. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Skippylongstocking won the Grade 3 Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on March 8, but was a well-beaten third of eight in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on April 19. Joseph said in a text message on Sunday that Irad Ortiz Jr., is booked to ride Be Your Best and Skippylongstocking. Skippylongstocking’s competition in the Gold Cup is expected to include Extensive, Midnight Mammoth, Packs a Wahlop, and Tarantino. The field has several notable absences from the local older horse division. Subsanador, winner of the Grade 1 California Crown last September, remains sidelined because of an injury that kept him from a start in the BC Classic last November, Mandella said. “He hasn’t healed enough yet,” Mandella said. “We keep waiting.” Full Serrano, winner of the BC Dirt Mile last November, is nearing his first workout of the year after a layoff, trainer John Sadler said. “He’s been galloping and looks very good,” Sadler said. Express Train, second in the Big Cap in March, had his first workout last week since early April after being sidelined by a foot issue, trainer John Shirreffs said. The Big Cap was won by Locked, who returned to finish fourth in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 2 for trainer Todd Pletcher. Hit Show, third in the Big Cap, won the $12 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on April 5 in his most recent start. Trained by Brad Cox, Hit Show worked a half-mile in 49.60 seconds at Churchill on Saturday. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.