Melatonin will sit out Californian Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif.- Melatonin, winner of the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap in March and the runner-up in the Oaklawn Handicap last month, will miss the $200,000 Californian Stakes at Santa Anita next Sunday.

Trainer David Hofmans said over that weekend that he plans to aim Melatonin to the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 25. Hofmans said Melatonin has needed more time than expected to recover from the journey to Arkansas for the Oaklawn Handicap on April 16.

“The trip was a little tough on him,” Hofmans said. “He lost some weight. He’s doing well now.”

Owned by Susan Osborne, Melatonin has won 4 of 12 starts and earned $918,552.

The Grade 2 Californian Stakes, which is run at 1 1/8 miles, will not have a large field. The candidates include Follow Me Crev, Hard Aces, Lieutenant Colonel, Point Piper, and Second Summer.

Hard Aces won the 2015 Gold Cup at Santa Anita, but is winless in his last seven starts. Trained by John Sadler, Hard Aces was second to Melatonin in the Big Cap on March 12, and seventh in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic in West Virginia on April 23.

Several leading older males based in California are skipping the race. California Chrome, winner of the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 26, resumed training earlier this month. He is expected to run at Del Mar in the San Diego Handicap on July 23.

Hoppertunity, third in the Dubai World Cup, has had one half-mile workout since returning to training. Donworth, third in the Charles Town Classic, is being pointed for the $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap at a mile at Belmont Park on June 11.

Saturday, San Onofre can win his third graded stakes of the year in the $200,000 Kona Gold Stakes, a Grade 2 at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Owned by Aase Headley and trained by her daughter, Karen, San Onofre won the Grade 3 Midnight Lute Stakes here in January and the Grade 3 Los Angeles Stakes at Los Alamitos on April 16.

A 6-year-old gelding, San Onofre will be part of a field expected to include Cherubim, Coastline, Dream Saturday, Kafister, Sahara Sky and Wild Dude.