Instagrand begins gearing up for 3-year-old season

Instagrand, the flashy 2-year-old who won each of his first two starts by more than 10 lengths before he was taken out of training and sent to Kentucky for a freshening, returned to Santa Anita this week to aim for a 3-year-old campaign.

Instagrand won the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes in early August at Del Mar and was expected to start favored in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity in early September before owner Larry Best decided to give him the rest of the year off.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and Best will determine a winter comeback race for Instagrand after he resumes serious training. In addition to Instagrand, the Best-owned graded stakes-placed 2-year-olds Rowayton and Brill are due back at the Hollendorfer stable in mid-December.

Kanthaka, a 3-year-old graded stakes winner, also returned to the Hollendorfer stable at Santa Anita this week to prepare for the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26, opening day of the winter meet. Kanthaka is 3 for 3 at Santa Anita, all at the seven-furlong distance of the Malibu, including wins in the Grade 2 San Vicente and Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera.

Kanthaka, owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, posted four workouts at Los Alamitos prior to his arrival at Santa Anita. He worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds at Santa Anita on Wednesday, the fastest of 16 works at the distance.

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