Sadler preps for Oceanside

Trainer John Sadler may have two runners in the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-olds on July 21 at Del Mar– the Golden Gate Fields stakes winner Game Time and recent Irish import Panic Alarm.

Game Time won the $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf on May 28, leading throughout for his first stakes win in his fifth appearance in such a race. Owned by Hronis Racing, Game Time earned $45,000 for the win.

The Oceanside is restricted to 3-year-olds who have not won a first-place purse worth $50,000 or more to the winner this year. Game Time was second in the Pasadena Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita earlier in April.

“He’s ready to go,” Sadler said over the weekend. “He’s been competitive in all these stakes down here. He needs to keep doing what he’s doing.”

Panic Alarm has won 2 of 8 starts in Europe for trainer Jessica Harrington and recently arrived at Sadler’s stable at Santa Anita. Panic Alarm was 17th of 29 in the Britannia Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on a straightaway course at Royal Ascot on June 22, racing briefly in traffic with more than a quarter-mile remaining.

Panic Alarm worked a half-mile in 50.40 seconds on Sunday at Santa Anita and will have another workout before a decision is made on whether the Irish-bred gelding will start in the Oceanside.

“He will have to train his way in,” Sadler said.

Trainers Bob Baffert and Phil D’Amato also will have runners in the Oceanside, which annually has a large field.

Baffert plans to start Mr Fisk, who was second in the Affirmed Stakes on dirt on June 4 at Santa Anita, but has yet to start on turf. D’Amato intends to run Classical Cat, who has not raced since a win in the Eddie Logan Stakes for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf at Santa Anita in December.

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