ARCADIA, Calif. – Last May, on the Memorial Day program at Santa Anita, jockey Umberto Rispoli won two Grade 1 races on the same program for the first time in his career with Anisette in the Gamely Stakes and Johannes in the Shoemaker Mile. The same milestone is within reach on Monday for Rispoli, who has been at the center of the racing world after his dramatic win aboard Journalism in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. The Preakness was the first American classic victory for the 36-year-old Rispoli, a native of Italy who has ridden in the United States since late 2019. On Monday, Rispoli’s hopes rest with Liguria in the $300,000 Gamely for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf, and Formidable Man in the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile on turf. “We’ll try to do it again,” Rispoli said on Sunday at Santa Anita. Both Formidable Man and Liguria are trained by Michael McCarthy, who directs the career of the brilliant Journalism. :: Playing Santa Anita? Get the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances, Picks, and Clocker Reports available now. Formidable Man and Liguria have been pointed to Monday’s races for months. Rispoli has been aboard both in recent workouts. Formidable Man, owned by William and Suzanne Warren, won the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf at Santa Anita on March 1, his fourth stakes win in his last five starts since mid-July. Formidable Man closed from sixth of seven along the inside in the final furlong under Rispoli to win by a half-length. “The horse is in top condition and he’s ready to run,” Rispoli said. “He couldn’t be any better.” On the same March 1 program, Liguria won the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes, her most recent start. Owned by Alpha Delta Stables, Liguria closed from last of six to win by a head under jockey Flavien Prat. “She’s a patient filly,” Rispoli said. “She doesn’t give you a lot in the first part of the work and she gallops out well.” Rispoli rode Liguria to a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes at a mile on turf on Feb. 1, the 5-year-old mare’s first start since a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Keeneland in October 2023. Liguria was transferred from Chad Brown to McCarthy before the Megahertz. A longer trip in the Gamely is not a concern for Rispoli. “I think the distance is absolutely no problem,” he said. “She will love that.” Formidable Man and Liguria were part of a stakes triple for McCarthy on March 1. The third win came with Journalism in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes with Rispoli aboard. Journalism is under strong consideration for the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga on June 7. Last May, Rispoli won the Gamely with Anisette and the Shoemaker with Johannes. Anisette has since been sold and transferred to trainer Chris Waller in Australia. Johannes has resumed training after a late winter and early spring layoff. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.