Petruchio freshened for Singletary Stakes

Once regarded as a Triple Crown prospect, Petruchio has not raced since a sixth-place finish in the El Camino Real Derby on the synthetic track at Golden Gate Fields in February. Petruchio will have a far easier assignment in the $100,000 Singletary Stakes at a mile on turf on Sunday at Santa Anita.

The Singletary is the gelding’s first start on turf since a win in a maiden special weight race at Del Mar last October.

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The Singletary Stakes for 3-year-olds may be an ideal starting point for a turf campaign. Most of California’s stakes for 3-year-olds the rest of the year are on turf.

Petruchio, trained by Richard Mandella for Ramona and Perry Bass, was third in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity in December. None of the other five starters in the Singletary have placed in a stakes, and two are starting in a stakes for the first time.

Petruchio was the 3-1 third choice in a field of eight in the El Camino Real Derby. He was near the front for the first six furlongs before fading to finish 13 1/4 lengths behind winner Rombauer.

“He looked a little tired after that trip to Golden Gate,” Mandella said. “I gave him a little break.

“We’ll get him started and we’ll see what he does.”

Petruchio will start from the rail and will be ridden by Mike Smith, who was aboard for the win in the maiden race and for the Los Alamitos Futurity. Smith is likely to have Petruchio in a stalking position behind Man Friday, who won a maiden special weight race at a mile on turf from the front March 20, and Sensemaker, who led throughout an allowance race at a mile on turf on April 4 at Golden Gate Fields.

Man Friday raced without blinkers when fifth in a maiden special weight race at a mile on turf on Feb. 19, a day he broke through the gate before the start. The blinkers were on for the March 20 race.

“He’s coming off a good effort,” trainer Doug O’Neill said. “The race before, we took the blinkers off thinking we might see a greater performance, and it ended up being a disaster.”

O’Neill said Man Friday may not be a need-the-lead sort, but is likely to be close to the pace.

“We’re still trying to figure him out,” O’Neill said. “He does act like he wants to be free-running. If there is not a lot of pace, he could be on the lead.”

A quick pace will help Gator Shining, who was third in an allowance race at six furlongs on turf March 13. Trained by Richard Baltas, Gator Shining will race at a mile for the first time in the Singletary. Leading rider Flavien Prat has the mount for the first time.

“There is some speed in there for him to run at,” Baltas said. “If he gets in a rhythm, he will be coming late and we can get a stakes win for him.”