Rapidly improving Easter goes for third in a row in San Gabriel

Easter, who starts in Tuesday’s Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes at Santa Anita, has changed since his arrival in Southern California in October.

“Easter has really come around,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. “He has confidence under his belt after his last two wins. He’s figured it out.”

Easter won his first stakes in his 17th career start in the restricted Lure Stakes at a mile on turf on Oct. 28 at Santa Anita, his final start for trainer Graham Motion. Easter was sharper when he won the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf on Nov. 25 at Del Mar in his first start for D’Amato.

The wins make Easter a significant favorite to win his third consecutive race in the $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

“I think Easter is a horse that has shown an affinity for these California turf courses,” D’Amato said. “Between having a lot of ability and putting it all together on these firmer turf courses, it’s making him a force on the West Coast.”

Owned by Madaket Stable, Easter is part of a field of six in the San Gabriel that includes stablemate Tio Magico, who is likely to set the pace, as well as the graded stakes winners Astronaut, Missed the Cut, and War At Sea.

Eastern Ocean, sixth in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup on Nov. 24, will be a longshot even with the famous jockey Frankie Dettori aboard.

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Easter will be ridden by Antonio Fresu, who was aboard the six-time winner in the Seabiscuit.

The San Gabriel will be the first start for Tio Magico since he led throughout an allowance race at 1 1/8 miles on turf Nov. 2 at Santa Anita. He is likely to be prominent again in the San Gabriel.

D’Amato said he deliberately skipped the Del Mar autumn meeting in November and early December with Tio Magico to have the 5-year-old gelding ready for the Santa Anita winter meeting. The San Gabriel is Tio Magico’s first start in a stakes since he won the Queenston Stakes at a mile on turf for Ontario-breds at Woodbine in the summer of 2021 when trained by Gail Cox.

“I think both of those horses are on the improve,” D’Amato said of Easter and Tio Magico.

War At Sea won his first graded stakes in the Grade 3 Golden Gate Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the synthetic main track Nov. 4, ending a five-race losing streak since the Cinema Handicap for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita in June 2022.

In the Golden Gate Handicap, War At Sea closed with a wide rally to reach the front at the wire. Trainer Ron Ellis expects another late run from War At Sea in the longer San Gabriel.

“I kind of think he’ll appreciate the distance,” Ellis said. “I’ve thought he was a mile and an eighth horse.”

War At Sea is likely to be in a handy position for jockey Mike Smith.

“I think he’s versatile,” Ellis said. “I think he can do what Mike wants.”

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