Royal Ship tries synthetic in All American Stakes
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The race options for Royal Ship on Monday were the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita or the $100,000 All American Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.
While the $400,000 Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles carries far more prize money and prestige, Royal Ship will have his synthetic track debut in the All American Stakes at a mile. The distance, and goals for the summer, were two leading factors in the decision.
“He can get a mile and a quarter, but he doesn’t seem to be the same after you do it,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “Who knows if he’ll like synthetic or not. We’ll see. I’m thinking it’s got to be easier than the Gold Cup.”
Grade 1 winners Country Grammer and Defunded are among the players in the Hollywood Gold Cup.
Royal Ship won the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar last summer, and the same race on July 29 is firmly in Mandella’s plans for the six-time stakes winner.
Royal Ship drew the inside post in a field of seven in the All American Stakes, and is one of five stakes winners in the field along with American Farmer, I’mgonnabesomebody, Royal ‘N Rando, and Tripoli.
Rio King, second at 51-1 in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on turf on April 29, and Mastering, the winner of an allowance race at Santa Anita on April 30, are the other runners.
Royal Ship, owned by Fox Hills Farm and Siena Farm, is winless in four starts since the 2022 San Diego Handicap. Royal Ship was last of eight in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf in his 2023 debut at Santa Anita on March 4, and rebounded to finish second by three lengths to Defunded in the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on dirt at Santa Anita on April 22.
Mandella said a start in the All American could “build up confidence” for Royal Ship, a 7-year-old Brazilian-bred gelding.
Royal Ship and Rio King will be closing, and must catch expected pacesetter I’mgonnabesomebody and Tripoli, a stalker who won the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar in 2021. Tripoli ended an eight-race losing streak dating back to the 2021 Pacific Classic with a nose win against three rivals in his synthetic track debut in an allowance race at a mile on March 19.
I’mgonnabesomebody won two stakes at Golden Gate Fields last year, and will start for the first time since January in the All American Stakes.
“I hope he’s fit enough,” trainer Bill McLean said. “He’s a funny horse to train. He does his own thing. He’s not much of a work horse, but he’s putting a little more into [his training] lately.”
Despite the layoff, McLean is banking on I’mgonnabesomebody being tough to catch in the stretch.
“If he gets the lead, he’s a bulldog,” McLean said
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