Parnelli's stakes debut likely Sham Stakes in January

DEL MAR, Calif. - Parnelli is likely to have his stakes debut in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on Jan. 2 after winning a maiden special weight race in his fourth start at Del Mar on Saturday.

Trained by John Shirreffs for Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stables, Parnelli ($2.60) was always near the front in the one-mile maiden race and pulled clear to win by 5 3/4 lengths under jockey Drayden Van Dyke.

“I thought it was a really good race,” Shirreffs said. “I was pleased he was on the outside. Drayden was able to get him to relax.

“We’ll have to see how he is in the next 10 days and plan something for his 3-year-old campaign.”

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Shirreffs said he plans to pass the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 19 with Parnelli.

The $100,000 Sham Stakes at a mile is the first stakes for 3-year-olds of the Santa Anita winter-spring campaign, leading to the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

Parnelli, by Quality Road, was purchased for $500,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in September 2019.

The Searings and Shirreffs won a delayed running of the 2020 Santa Anita Derby in June with Honor A. P., who was later fourth in the Kentucky Derby in September in his final start. Honor A. P. was retired in September and will be a first-year stallion in Kentucky in 2021.