Peace looks to turn the tables on Shivermetimbers

ARCADIA, Calif. – Peace, a maiden race winner Dec. 30, will have his stakes debut in Saturday’s Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita against a familiar rival.

At Del Mar on Thanksgiving, Shivermetimbers beat Peace by a head in a one-mile maiden race on dirt. From trainer Richard Mandella’s perspective, Peace has changed in the more than two months since that race.

“He continues to get a little smarter,” Mandella said last weekend. “He was kind of a laid-back horse that didn’t take life too seriously early, which is nice. Sometimes, it’s the other way.”

Peace showed more focus with his recent win as the 7-10 favorite, closing from fourth in a field of seven. He won by three-quarters of a length over two well-regarded runners trained by Bob Baffert – Regulate and Restoring Hope.

Owned by Spendthrift Farm and Town and Country Farm, Peace has had three starts. He worked six furlongs in 1:13.60 last Saturday in his final major tune-up for the Lewis.

“It was a nice steady work,” Mandella said.

Shivermetimbers, fourth in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Jan. 6, is a candidate for the $150,000 Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles along with Ayacara, Blame the Rider, Inscom, Lombo, and Pepe Tono.

The Lewis is part of a series of preps leading to the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 7. Mandella said he is more focused on Peace’s appearance in the Lewis than the major races of the spring.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said of the colt’s long-term future.

In Mandella-speak, such a comment indicates an optimistic point of view.

The Lewis is one of four graded stakes on what should be an excellent program at Santa Anita.

Roy H, the champion sprinter of 2017, will be a short-priced favorite in a small field in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes at six furlongs on dirt. The $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes will be Roy H’s first start since a title-clinching win in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 4 at Del Mar.

The Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes for older horses at 1 1/8 miles is a prep for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 10, the signature race of the meeting for older horses. The probable starters for the $200,000 San Pasqual are Accelerate, Hoppertunity, Ike Walker, Irish Freedom, Mubtaahij, Pavel, The Lieutenant, and Top of the Game.

Itsinthepost, winner of the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes on turf Jan. 6, will be favored in the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf against a field that may include Flamboyant, who won the $200,000 race in 2016.