Gregorian Chant ready for start in Eddie D Stakes

Gregorian Chant, a two-time stakes winner in 2021 who was a game second in the Wickerr Stakes at Del Mar on July 24, is on schedule for a start in the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes for turf sprinters at Santa Anita on Oct. 1.

Gregorian Chant was entered in the Grade 2 FanDuel Turf Sprint at six furlongs at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 10, but did not start after trainer Phil D’Amato expressed concern about potential wet weather.

“He never got on the plane,” D’Amato said.

The $200,000 Eddie D Stakes is run at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course and is a key prep for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 5. The Turf Sprint will be run at 5 1/2 furlongs this year when the event is run at Keeneland Racecourse.

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“It should be a good spot for him,” D’Amato said of the Eddie D.

Gregorian Chant won an allowance race on the hillside turf course in March for owners Old Bones Racing Stable, Slam Dunk Racing, and Michael Nentwig. In the restricted Wickerr Stakes at a mile, Gregorian Chant closed from fifth in a field of 11 to finish three-quarters of a length behind Irideo.

The Southern California-based Bran won the $648,640 FanDuel Turf Sprint in an 11-1 upset in course record time of 1:07.41 and will have his next start in the BC Turf Sprint, trainer John Sadler said on Thursday.

Ginobili, owned by the Slam Dunk partnership, is in training for a comeback. The winner of the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar in 2021, Ginobili has not raced since a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct last December.

Ginobili was sent to Saudi Arabia for the $1.5 million Riyadh Cup Sprint in February, but was scratched because of unsoundness. Last Saturday, Ginobili worked three furlongs at the San Luis Rey Downs training center in 37.40 seconds, his first workout since February.

Nick Cosato, the managing director of the Slam Dunk partnership, wrote in a text message on Thursday that the 5-year-old Ginobili could start before the end of the year.

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