Santa Anita: Brother Francis drops into maiden race

ARCADIA, Calif. - Brother Francis, who was third to Liaison and Rousing Sermon in the CashCall Futurity, is still winless after three starts, so trainer Jim Cassidy is taking advantage of that condition and will run him Saturday in a one-mile maiden race on turf at Santa Anita.

The race will be the first grass start for Brother Francis, who was second in his debut sprinting, then second in the Hollywood Prevue before the CashCall Futurity.

“I would wait for a mile a sixteenth race on dirt later in the condition book, but it’s too close to his next race,” Cassidy said Thursday morning. “He should be all right on turf. He’s been all right on everything he’s been on so far.”

After Saturday’s race, Cassidy wants to run Brother Francis in the Lewis, against Liaison and Rousing Sermon.