Katonah to skip Pacific Classic, Hong Kong Harry to City of Hope
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Katonah will be withdrawn from Saturday’s Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar after trainer Doug O’Neill said on Friday that he was unsatisfied with the way 4-year-old gelding has trained in recent days.
“He was telling me he wasn’t ready,” O’Neill said. “He was rushed and not ready.”
The winner of the Pleasanton Mile in Northern California on July 9, Katonah missed a few days of training with a foot ailment in August. O’Neill worked Katonah last weekend and said at the time that he would run in the Pacific Classic.
O’Neill changed his mind in recent days after observing Katonah.
“We’re going to take our time,” he said. “We’ll sit tight.”
O’Neill said an alternative race may be the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes, a $300,000 race at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on Sept. 30.
The defection of Katonah leaves the $1 million Pacific Classic with an expected field of 10.
Katonah, owned by R3 Racing, has won 4 of 11 starts and earned $210,180. The Pleasanton Mile was his stakes debut.
Hong Kong Harry to City of Hope
Hong Kong Harry, a three-time graded stakes winner last year, was held out of Saturday’s Grade 2 Del Mar Mile in favor of the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita on Sept. 30.
Hong Kong Harry has not raced since he finished third by 1 1/2 lengths as the 8-5 favorite in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita on May 29. Trainer Phil D’Amato said he expects Hong Kong Harry to benefit from an additional month of training.
“We’re going to run him in the City of Hope Mile,” D’Amato said. “I think timing-wise it’s better.”
Earlier this year, Hong Kong Harry was considered a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 4. The plan may not include that race this fall. Instead, the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at the Del Mar autumn meeting is likely to be a goal. Hong Kong Harry won the 2022 Seabiscuit Handicap.
D’Amato cautioned he could change his mind if Hong Kong Harry scored a dazzling win in the $200,000 City of Hope Mile.
“I think this year it will more likely be the Seabiscuit,” he said. “If he were to win impressively, we could look at that.”
A winner of 9 of 16 starts, Hong Kong Harry races for the partnership of Scott Anastasi, Jimmy Ukegawa, and Tony Valazza.
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