Lord Simba ascends rapidly to elite level in Kona Gold Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Two months ago, Lord Simba was a talented maiden who had finished second in his first three starts. On Saturday, Lord Simba will start as the favorite in the Grade 2 Kona Gold Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita, a chance to solidify his position as a horse to follow in the nation’s sprint division.

“Sprinters are good for a while, and he’s good right now,” trainer Bob Baffert said.

Owned by Susan and Charles Chu’s Baoma Corp., Lord Simba won the Grade 3 Los Angeles Stakes at six furlongs in his stakes debut April 15. The $200,000 Kona Gold will be the longest race of his career.

The Kona Gold is the ninth race on an 11-race program that begins at noon Pacific. The day’s first race is the $100,000 Crystal Water Stakes for California-bred milers on turf.

Lord Simba won a six-furlong maiden race by eight lengths on March 19 and the Los Angeles Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths over Eastwood, who is part of the Kona Gold field. Typical of a Baffert-trained runner, Lord Simba has worked quickly in recent weeks, including six furlongs in 1:12 on May 9.

The Kona Gold drew a field of nine. Lord Simba will start from post 7 and is expected to take a stalking position.

“He drew well,” Baffert said. “There is a lot of speed in there.”

Lord Simba is the only 2017 stakes winner in the Kona Gold field. Moe Candy was second in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes here in February but only sixth in the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 15 on a track he did not prefer, trainer John Sadler said.

Moe Candy drew the rail for the Kona Gold and will race behind the leaders, Sadler said.

“He’s not a hard horse to ride,” Sadler said. “He needs a position. He won’t be on the lead, but he should be stalking.”

The Kona Gold will be the stakes debut of Ransom the Moon, a 5-year-old who joined trainer Phil D’Amato’s stable over the winter after being acquired privately by Michael Martinez and Jeffry Wilke. Ransom the Moon raced at a mile or farther last year on turf and on the synthetic track at Woodbine and won his California debut in an optional claimer at 6 1/2 furlongs on April 30.

“He trained like he liked the dirt, and he trained more aggressive on the dirt than you would think he would looking at his form,” D’Amato said. “With the speed he showed, I had to try it once in the afternoon.

“I still think he’ll go long on the dirt. He was so impressive the other day, why not try him in this race?”

◗ What a View, the winner of the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf in 2016 but winless in four starts this year, will be a strong favorite against four rivals in the Crystal Water.

Trained by Kenny Black, What a View was second by a head this year in both the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes in February and the Kilroe Mile in March before finishing sixth in the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland on April 14.

What a View tends to lead and could face an early threat from Pee Wee Reese, who will start in his first stakes after winning four consecutive races – a maiden race last August on dirt at Del Mar and three optional-claiming races on turf.