Santa Anita: Aotearoa has two lucrative options

ARCADIA, Calif. – Early November plans for Aotearoa, upset winner of the Zuma Beach Stakes for 2-year-olds on turf last Sunday, will be confirmed after a main-track workout at Santa Anita later this month.

Trainer Leonard Powell said Tuesday that Aotearoa will work on dirt at Santa Anita on the weekend of Oct. 19-20 before he and owner Paul Viskovich decide between the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf or the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile for California-breds over a mile on dirt. Both races are Nov. 1.

“I would love to run him against California-breds for $200,000,” Powell said. “But after the weekend, I would love to keep him on turf as well.”

Bred by Viskovich, Aotearoa was not nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program as a weanling. To run him in the BC Juvenile Turf would require $120,000 in nomination and starting fees.

In the Zuma Beach, Aotearoa ($28.60) rallied from last in a field of six to win the one-mile turf race by three-quarters of a length over the previously unbeaten Diamond Bachelor, the 2-5 favorite. The Zuma Beach was Aotearoa’s first stakes win. It followed a victory in a maiden race for California-breds at Del Mar on Aug. 4 and a fourth as the 9-10 favorite in the I’m Smokin Stakes for California-breds over six furlongs Sept. 2.

The races at Del Mar were on a Polytrack synthetic surface. Powell blamed himself for the stakes loss at Del Mar, saying he had trained Aotearoa with two-turn races in mind.

“I tried to put some foundation in him,” he said. “Now the foundation paid off.”

Trainer Patrick Biancone said Tuesday that Diamond Bachelor was in good condition following the loss in the Zuma Beach and that a Breeders’ Cup race has not been selected for the colt, purchased for $575,000 at the Barretts March sale of 2-year-olds in training by Kin Hui.

Biancone said the BC Juvenile Turf or $2 million BC Juvenile over 1 1/16 miles on the main track remain options.

“It’s too early to say, but the good thing is he came out of the race well,” Biancone said.