Run Away to try route racing in Affirmed Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Run Away, a winner of three sprint stakes as a 2-year-old last year, will start around two turns for the first time in Sunday’s Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita.

The decision to start Run Away in the $100,000 Affirmed Stakes at 1 1/16 miles comes after the colt was comprehensively beaten in his last two starts – a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar last November and a sixth in the Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico on a sloppy track May 19.

The lack of an upcoming sprint stakes for 3-year-olds in Southern California played into the decision, trainer Simon Callaghan said.

“He’s more relaxed now, and I think two turns can be within his range,” Callaghan said. “It makes sense to try it now because there really isn’t anything else.”

Callaghan said he was not discouraged by Run Away’s loss in the Chick Lang under jockey Flavien Prat, considering the sloppy and sealed conditions.

“Flavien looked after him on the wet track,” Callaghan said.

Owned by Kaleem Shah, Run Away has won 4 of 7 starts and earned $308,400. Run Away won the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar last August and was later third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity behind Bolt d’Oro.

The Affirmed Stakes is also expected to include Afleet Ascent, Draft Pick, King Cause, Lombo, and Solomini.

Solomini, unraced since finishing 10th in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5, was scratched from an optional claimer at Churchill Downs last Saturday.

Solomini was third in the Arkansas Derby in April. On Sunday, trainer Bob Baffert said Solomini was his most likely runner among six nominees to the Affirmed.

Saturday’s main race at Santa Anita is the Grade 2 Honeymoon Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles. The stakes winners Consolida, Fatale Bere, and Paved are among the nine probable starters in the $200,000 turf race. Other likely runners are Finess Bere, May Girl, Miss Sienna, Movie Moment, Ms Peintour, and West Palm Beach.