Jazzy Times drops from Grade 1 into Damascus Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Jazzy Times and Silent Bird each have won an optional claimer this year in a manner suggesting that a stakes win could be near. They will try to reach that objective in Friday’s $100,000 Damascus Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita.

The Damascus Stakes will be the stakes debut for Silent Bird, a sharp winner here Oct. 2, and the second stakes appearance for Jazzy Times, who was third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Oct. 8.

The Damascus Stakes (race 4) is one of four non-Breeders’ Cup stakes on Friday’s 10-race program. The other three are worth $200,000 each – the Grade 2 Las Vegas Marathon at 1 3/4 miles, the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf, and the Golden State Juvenile Fillies for California-bred 2-year-olds at seven furlongs.

Jazzy Times was beaten 6 1/4 lengths in the Santa Anita Sprint. Lord Nelson won the Santa Anita Sprint and is a leading contender in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint here. In his previous start, Jazzy Times won an optional-claiming sprint at Del Mar by 6 1/2 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 101.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Jazzy Times will be fitted with blinkers for the first time Friday. He is the 6-5 favorite on the track’s morning line.

Silent Bird has won two of three starts, including optional claimers in January and October in consecutive starts. He won his last race by 1 1/4 lengths and earned a 94 Beyer.

“He ran exceptionally well off that layoff,” trainer Mark Glatt said. “I didn’t think he was ready to go. He had a good time and beat a decent field, I thought.

“We thought he was a real nice horse all along, but he’s been a little injury plagued. He’s been a chronic shin horse. We’ve had to be patient with him.”

Prospect Park, fourth in the 2015 Santa Anita Derby, starts in the Damascus, his first outing since a second in an optional claimer in February. Prospect Park won the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap on turf at Del Mar in August 2015.

Marathon

Hard Aces, who was sixth in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Classic, may have an advantage at the distance of the Marathon (race 3), having won the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap at 1 1/2 miles on dirt at Del Mar in July. In recent weeks, Hard Aces has been a workmate for Stellar Wind, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2015 who starts in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Trained by John Sadler, Hard Aces was fourth in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes on Oct. 1 behind California Chrome, the favorite for Saturday’s BC Classic.

The Las Vegas Marathon includes the stayers Scuba and Quick Casablanca.

Scuba won the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Parx Racing on Sept. 5 and the Temperence Hill Invitational at 1 5/8 miles at Belmont Park on Oct. 2. Quick Casablanca won the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Handicap at 1 3/4 miles on turf here in April and was second to Hard Aces in the Cougar II Handicap.

Golden State Juvenile Fillies

Vai, trained by Glatt, has been pointed to the Golden State Juvenile Fillies since winning an optional claimer for California-bred 2-year-old fillies on Oct. 6.

Vai won the six-furlong race as the 1-5 favorite, racing near the front throughout. She finished a half-length in front of Isa Firecracker, who is part of this field.

“We’re confident going into the race,” Glatt said. “It’s a more competitive race than what she’s faced.

“I think seven furlongs is a challenge. Most of them haven’t run this far. I think it will be fine for my filly. She has the pedigree to get it.”

Vai is by the Tapit stallion Tapizar. She is unbeaten in two starts, having won a maiden race against open company at Del Mar on Aug. 28.

The Golden State Juvenile Fillies (race 5) will be the Southern California debut for Only You Babe, who won two sprint stakes on the Northern California fair circuit over the summer.