Irish import Crossfirehurricane will try to rain on locals' parade in Shoemaker Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – The field for Monday’s Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita has grown to seven expected runners, including three horses who need to be supplemented for $6,000 and a Group 3 winner in Ireland making his U.S. debut.

Say the Word, Next Shares, and the 5-year-old mare Raymundo’s Secret will be supplemented, according to their trainers. Trainer Phil D’Amato said Raymundo’s Secret will be cross-entered in Monday’s Grade 1 Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares on turf, and he will make a decision on her race over the weekend.

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The Shoemaker Mile will be the American debut for Crossfirehurricane, who last year at 3 won stakes at a mile and 1 1/4 miles in Ireland in the first half of what was expected to be an important season. But Crossfirehurricane finished 10th in the Group 1 Irish Derby as the 8-1 fourth choice last June, and 13th in the Grade 3 Diamond Stakes last September in his final start for Joseph O’Brien.

New trainer Michael McCarthy selected the Shoemaker Mile over the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on Saturday for Crossfirehurricane.

“This is the best option in the foreseeable future,” McCarthy said on Friday. “I just think he needs a little bit of a tightener in the Shoemaker. He’ll be effective at a mile to a mile and a quarter.”

Owned by Scott Heider, Crossfirehurricane, a Kentucky-bred by Kitten’s Joy, won 4 of 6 starts in 2019 and 2020, all in Ireland.

Crossfirehurricane had his first workout at Santa Anita in late March.

“He’s had plenty of time to acclimate,” McCarthy said.

Restrainedvengence, Smooth Like Strait, and Whisper Not complete the expected field for the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile. Raging Bull, the winner of the race in 2020, was not shipped from New York after trainer Chad Brown said the travel arrangements were not to his liking.

The winner of the Shoemaker Mile receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

There are two other Grade 1 races worth $300,000 on Monday’s program – the Gamely and the Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles on dirt.

Royal Ship, winner of the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on April 17, and Express Train, second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6, are the top runners in a small field in the Gold Cup.

Charmaine’s Mia, a three-time stakes winner at Santa Anita this year, will race at 1 1/8 miles for the first time in the Gamely.

The race was expected to include Juliet Foxtrot, the two-length winner of the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at a mile on turf at Keeneland on April 10, but she was not sent to California on Thursday, as expected, track officials said.