Santa Anita: Distinctiv Passion to play catch me in Sprint Championship

ARCADIA, Calif. – There will be no way to hold back Distinctiv Passion in Saturday’s $250,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship over six furlongs.

“He’s the quickest horse I’ve had in a long time,” trainer Jeff Bonde said.

Distinctiv Passion has won 4 of 8 starts and $191,930 and starts for the first time in a Grade 1 stakes in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship. In nearly all of his races, he has led after the opening quarter-mile, all of which have had a fractional time of less than 22 seconds.

Sometimes, the speed-oriented strategy works, other times the quick pace takes its toll. Owned by the partnership of Phillip Lebherz, Alan Klein, and Edward Brown Jr., Distinctiv Passion led throughout the San Pedro Stakes for 3-year-olds over six furlongs here in January, but was caught in the final furlong of the Casual Lies Handicap at Pleasanton on July 4.

Distinctiv Passion had mixed results at Del Mar. The colt led throughout an allowance race over five furlongs on turf July 26. In the Green Flash Handicap over five furlongs on turf, he finished first by a neck but was disqualified and placed third for drifting to the outside in the stretch, a decision that infuriated Bonde.

Jockey Edwin Maldonado said Distinctiv Passion lugged out in the July 26 race and reacted to Del Mar’s infield television in the final furlong of the Green Flash.

“He looked at the big screen,” Maldonado recalled last weekend. “He ducked from it.”

The same situation is unlikely to occur at Santa Anita. While the track has a massive infield television, it is separated from the main track by a turf course and an infield training track. Del Mar’s infield television is closer to its turf course.

The Santa Anita Sprint Championship is a vital race for Distinctiv Passion. The winner receives a fees-paid berth for the $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 2 through the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program.

Saturday’s race has a strong field, including 2012 BC Sprint winner Trinniberg; Points Offthebench, who won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar in July; and Goldencents, who won the Santa Anita Derby in April and was second to Points Offthebench in the Bing Crosby and second to Fed Biz in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes over seven furlongs on Aug. 25.

Other probable starters are Centralinteligence, Gonna Fly Now, and Roman Threat.

Among that group, the pacesetter is known. Maldonado is hoping Distinctive Passion’s speed will last.

“I just let him run,” Maldonado said. “There is no slowing him down.”

Lady of Shamrock may run again before sale

Lady of Shamrock, winner of two Grade 1 races and fifth in the $250,500 Rodeo Drive Stakes last Saturday, is scheduled to be sold at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale, but may still run in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 2, trainer John Sadler said.

Sadler said a decision on whether Lady of Shamrock runs again will be made late in October.

“She’s in the November sale,” Sadler said. “We’ll look at her. She could run in the Filly and Mare Turf, maybe if we get a pace and a big field.”

Owned by Hronis Racing, Lady of Shamrock has won 7 of 17 starts and $950,400. She has won six stakes, including the Grade 1 American Oaks and Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in 2012. A 4-year-old by Scat Daddy, Lady of Shamrock was fifth in the 2012 BC Filly and Mare Turf.

The Sadler-trained More Chocolate was fifth in the $250,500 Zenyatta Stakes last Saturday. The winner of the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes in January, More Chocolate has been entered in the November sale at Fasig-Tipton in Kentucky, a plan that could change.

“We might give her a vacation and bring her back at 5,” Sadler said.

A 4-year-old filly by Malibu Moon owned by Michael Talla, More Chocolate has won 3 of 13 starts and $367,642.

Caracortado tries to get into Turf Sprint

Caracortado, the five-time stakes winner who was fourth in the Grade 3 Eddie D Stakes on Sept. 27 in his first start in 18 months, is a candidate for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 2, if he can gain a berth in the field.

Trainer Mike Machowsky has the BC Turf Sprint as a goal, hoping that the race does not oversubscribe. The field will be limited to 14 starters. If the race draws a higher number of entries, Machowsky is hoping that Caracortado’s career achievements will be enough to merit a berth from a selection committee.

A 6-year-old gelding, Caracortado has won 9 of 20 starts and $870,105. Caracortado was beaten three-quarters of a length by Chips All In in the Eddie D after racing as close as third in the stretch.

“With his credentials, I hope he gets voted in,” Machowsky said. “With his past class, he deserves to be there.”

Caracortado was sidelined by an injured foot. Prior to the Eddie D Stakes, he had not raced since winning the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes on the hillside turf course in January 2012.

“He came out of it good,” Machowsky said. “The foot looks solid.”