Noble Reflection heads stakes-worthy sprint

The plan to start Noble Reflection in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita essentially ended earlier this week when the list of pre-entries was published.

Noble Reflection was ranked 20th on a list of 21 potential runners. Only the first 14 are assured berths in the Turf Sprint.

“I doubt I’ll get in,” trainer George Papaprodromou said Friday morning. “Maybe a miracle will happen.”

:: Get ready for Santa Anita racing with DRF PPs, Clocker Reports, Picks, and more. Shop Now.

The consolation for Noble Reflection is an allowance race at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course Sunday at Santa Anita, the main race on a nine-race program.

Noble Reflection, who races for Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran, finished third by a half-length in the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on Sept. 30, setting the pace to the final sixteenth.

“He ran a huge race and he came out of the race great,” Papaprodromou said.

“He runs better on the lead. Sometimes he gets a little wound up going to the gate. He was nice and calm and he gave it all in the race.”

Noble Reflection won an allowance race on the hillside turf course in April, finishing in course-record time of 1:10.52.

In Sunday’s allowance race, Noble Reflection must hold off two familiar rivals in Bran and I’m A Gambler, who were second and fourth in the Eddie D Stakes.

Bran has set the pace at times in his career, but is equally as effective as a stalker. Trained by John Sadler, Bran will have his third start of the year Sunday. Bran won three sprint stakes in an eight-race campaign in 2022, including the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes on the hillside turf course.

I’m A Gambler is winless in four starts in stakes since arriving from Britain in late 2022. Trained by Mark Glatt, I’m A Gambler was third by a length in the Wickerr Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar in July and closed from sixth to finish fourth by a length in the Eddie D Stakes. The Wickerr and Eddie D are the closest I’m a Gambler has come to a win in the United States.

I’m A Gambler will be fitted with blinkers for the first time in the allowance race and will be permitted to run on Lasix for the first time since the race is not a stakes.

“The distance might be right up his alley,” Glatt said. “We’re hoping he comes through with a breakthrough race.”

The allowance race will be the first start of 2023 for Gregorian Chant, who won the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes at six furlongs on the oval turf course at Santa Anita in 2021 and won an allowance race on the hillside turf course in 2022.

Gregorian Chant is entered for an $80,000 optional claiming price in Sunday’s allowance, the first time he has been eligible to be claimed.

After Sunday’s program, racing resumes Thursday at Santa Anita for four days on the final week of the track’s autumn meeting. The Breeders’ Cup races will be held on Friday and Saturday.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.