Santa Anita: Bio Pro hoping for hot pace in Thursday allowance

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bio Pro won the first stakes of his career in the Lure Stakes at Santa Anita in October, benefiting from an ideal trip under jockey Mario Gutierrez to win the restricted one-mile race on turf.

Bio Pro could get the same trip when he returns to Santa Anita for an optional claiming race at a mile on turf in Thursday’s seventh race. Trained by Howard Zucker for William Marks, Bio Pro has won 3 of his last 5 starts, rising from a maiden claimer at this time last year to a stakes winner.

In Thursday’s race, Bio Pro has drawn the outside post and is one of four stakes winners in a strong field of six.

“It’s kind of a hot race,” Zucker said. “There are a lot of sprinters in there with a lot of speed. That suits me.”

Bio Pro was fifth in the Grade 2 Citation Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park on Nov. 29, racing as close as second on the turn before finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Silentio. In Thursday’s race, Zucker is banking on runners such as My Best Brother and No Silent to set a strong pace.

“I think he’ll be better coming from off the pace,” Zucker said. “That should put him right there. He’s doing well, and he liked this turf course in the fall. A flat mile is up his alley.”

No Silent was part of a three-way dead heat for second behind Boat Trip in the Hollywood Turf Express at six furlongs on Dec. 8. Boat Trip starts in Thursday’s race but is racing at a mile for the first time since a fifth-place finish in a division of the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar in July 2012. Boat Trip won the Tsunami Slew Stakes at a mile on turf for 3-year-olds in June 2012.

The most accomplished runner in the field is Regally Ready, a 7-year-old gelding best known for winning the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs in November 2011. Regally Ready has struggled since that race, winning once in 11 starts for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Regally Ready won a turf allowance race at a mile at Keeneland on Oct. 18 but was fourth in an optional claimer at a mile on good turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 9. Regally Ready won two stakes on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in 2011.