Order and Law ready to bounce back in Tokyo City Cup

The Del Mar summer season was a meeting of two extremes for the 7-year-old Order and Law, one of five entrants in Sunday’s Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup at 1 1/2 miles on dirt at Santa Anita.

Order and Law scored a 14-1 upset in the Grade 3 Cougar II Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on July 23 at Del Mar, but was ninth of 10 at 93-1 in the track’s signature race, the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles on Sept. 2.

“We took a shot at it, didn’t work out,” trainer Bob Hess Jr. said.

Order and Law thrives in marathon races, which makes the $100,000 Tokyo City Cup a good fit. Hess said Order and Law rebounded quickly from the loss in the Pacific Classic.

In late September, Order and Law had two workouts on the infield training track at Santa Anita in preparation for the Tokyo City Cup.

“I think he’s back to normal,” Hess said.

Order and Law is the only 2023 stakes winner in the Tokyo City Cup.

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The lineup includes the two-time stakes winner Azul Coast, who was second in the Cougar II Handicap; Missed the Cut, a winner at Royal Ascot in England in 2022; Kiss Today Goodbye, who is winless in 11 starts since the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita in December 2020; and Donner Lake, who will have his stakes debut.

Donner Lake was supplemented for $2,000 when entries were taken Thursday. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Donner Lake rallied from off the pace to win an allowance race for California-breds at 1 1/16 miles on turf on Sept. 2 at Del Mar in his first start since January.

Azul Coast, trained by Bob Baffert, was last of 11 in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf on Sept. 2 in his first start on the surface in more than three years. Azul Coast raced near the front before fading.

With a small field in the Tokyo City Cup, Azul Coast could inherit the lead. Order and Law will be in a tracking position as he was in the Cougar II Stakes.

“That’s him,” Hess said. “He doesn’t have a turn of foot. He likes to stalk and pounce.”

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Missed the Cut has won 4 of 10 starts, but is winless in three starts in the United States for trainer John Sadler. Missed the Cut was fourth by 1 1/4 lengths in the Del Mar Handicap after racing in second in the stretch.

Previously for Sadler, Missed the Cut was second in his American debut in a one-mile allowance race on dirt at Santa Anita in June, but seventh of nine in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on dirt on July 29 at Del Mar.

At Royal Ascot in 2022, Missed the Cut won the Golden Gates Handicap at 1 1/4 miles with an off-the-pace move.

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