The Gomper auditions for stakes Friday
ARCADIA, Calif. – The Gomper ranks among jockey Joe Talamo’s promising 3-year-olds as the spring approaches.
“The way he acts in the morning, he doesn’t seem like a 3-year-old,” Talamo said on Wednesday. “He acts like a seasoned horse that has run 10 or 12 times.”
The Gomper has one win in two starts and runs in a first-level optional $80,000 claimer at a mile at Santa Anita on Friday, a race that could lead to major stakes in the coming months. The race drew five runners, including St. Joe Bay, who was third in the Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar in November, and the maiden-race winners Iancol, Prospect Park, and Rockinatten.
Rockinatten has stakes experience, having finished last of eight in Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Jan. 10.
Race 3
KEY CONTENDERS
The Gomper (Last 2 Beyers: 82-81)
◗ The Gomper surprised Talamo, owner Jeff Bloom, and trainer Ron Ellis with a debut win in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs on Dec. 5.
“The first time out, he ran an unbelievable race,” Talamo said.
◗ In an optional claimer at six furlongs Dec. 31, The Gomper broke slowly and closed from sixth in a field of eight to finish second to Serbian Syclone, a probable starter in Sunday’s $200,000 San Vicente Stakes.
“He ran a winning race,” Talamo said. “It was a speed-favoring track. His gallop-out was incredible. The winner is a nice horse and had a pretty easy lead. It was hard to catch him. He gives me every indication that two turns will be good for him.”
◗ Ellis considered the Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Feb. 7 for The Gomper but said Friday’s race is a more suitable spot.
“I’ve thought all along that he wants to run long,” he said. “As far as the next step for him, and the first time going long, this is a much better race than the Bob Lewis.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 The Gomper. Trainer Ron Ellis is 30-2-4-6 with a $0.74 ROI over the past five years going sprint to route with Joe Talamo aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Iancol (Last 3 Beyers: 78-56-69)
◗ After finishing third and sixth in sprints in December, Iancol rebounded to win a one-mile maiden race Jan. 16. Sent off as a 12-1 outsider, Iancol was near the front throughout and won by three-quarters of a length.
“He did surprise us a little bit,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said. “In the race before that, he didn’t do that much. We had no excuse or no answer for that. When we stretched him out, we were happy with that.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Iancol. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is 20-2-4-3 with a $0.79 ROI over the past two years in routes following a maiden victory on the Southern California circuit. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan