Santa Anita: Arcadia or San Marcos for Vagabond Shoes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Vagabond Shoes will appear in a $200,000 stakes race on turf one of the next two Saturdays at Santa Anita. Whether trainer John Sadler will target Saturday’s Arcadia Stakes over a mile or wait a week for the San Marcos Stakes over 1 1/4 miles remained unclear Wednesday.

Sadler said he was leaning toward the Arcadia Stakes for Vagabond Shoes, who has not raced since finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf here last November.

“I would say it’s stronger than 50-50,” he said. “I’ll enter for Saturday and see if there is enough speed and look at the race.”

Vagabond Shoes should be effective in either race. A 7-year-old Irish-bred gelding, Vagabond Shoes was second in the Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar on July 20. A month later, he won his first stakes in the United States in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap over 1 3/8 miles on turf.

Sadler chose longer races for Vagabond Shoes in the final months of 2013, largely to stay away from Wise Dan, who was being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Wise Dan later won the BC Mile and was named Horse of the Year for the second consecutive year for his 2013 season.

“We didn’t want to run against Wise Dan,” Sadler said. “We thought about the longer races because that’s the way the pattern works, but he’s versatile.”

Vagabond Shoes, who was entered for $62,500 last May, is owned by Kosta Hronis. A group stakes winner in France, Vagabond Shoes is part of a projected field of eight in the Arcadia, a prep for the $300,000 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf March 8.

Winning Prize, third in the Grade 2 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park in November, is the top contender for the Arcadia along with Regally Ready, who won the 2011 BC Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs. Regally Ready won an optional claimer over a mile on turf here Jan. 2.

Other contenders are No Jet Lag, who won the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile in October; defending champion Suggestive Boy; Unbridled’s Note, who won the Daytona Stakes on the hillside turf course Dec. 28; as well as Procurement, Si Sage, and Tom’s Tribute.

◗ Bond Holder, winner of the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes and later fourth in the BC Juvenile and CashCall Futurity, worked six furlongs in 1:12.40 on Wednesday. Trainer Doug O’Neill said that Bond Holder will run in the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Fair Grounds on Feb. 22.