Santa Anita: No Jet Lag ambitiously spotted in City of Hope Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – No Jet Lag faces the toughest turf milers in California in Saturday’s $150,000 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita. It is not the racing program that trainer Simon Callaghan envisioned after No Jet Lag won his American debut in an optional claimer at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 11.

That race was intended to be a prep for the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 1, but No Jet Lag could not get a berth in the stakes even after the race was divided. A 3-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding, No Jet Lag began his career in England, where he won two minor races in 2012.

“He didn’t get in because his purse earnings from England, as always, were low,” trainer Simon Callaghan said on Wednesday. “It went against him. It would have been a good spot.”

No Jet Lag did not start in September. Saturday’s Grade 2 City of Hope Mile is his next opportunity, and the race could serve as a prep for the $150,000 Twilight Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Nov. 1 or the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 2.

“With the way the program is set up, we’re forced into a tougher spot than we’d like,” Callaghan said.

The City of Hope Mile is headlined by Obviously, who was third in the 2012 BC Mile and has won three consecutive turf miles at Betfair Hollywood Park and Del Mar since May. Along with reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan, Obviously is considered a leading contender for the BC Mile.

No Jet Lag, a winner of 3 of 8 starts for owner Anthony Ramsden, will be a longshot in the City of Hope Mile.

“It’s one of those things where we can find out where we are,” Callaghan said. “It’s a big step from an allowance to trying the older, proven horses. We’ll learn a lot on Saturday.”

Aside from No Jet Lag and Obviously, the projected starters for the City of Hope Mile include Barocci, Endorsement, He Be Fire N Ice, Huntsville, Polytechnicien, and Willyconker.

Saturday’s $150,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship has a projected field of seven.

Trinniberg, the winner of the 2012 BC Sprint, makes his first start in California this year, against Points Offthebench, the winner of the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar in July. The other expected runners are Centralinteligence, Distinctiv Passion, Goldencents, Gonna Fly Now, and Roman Threat.

The winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at six furlongs receives a fees-paid berth to the $1.5 million BC Sprint on Nov. 2.

Options for Broadway Empire

Broadway Empire, who won his third consecutive stakes in Sunday’s $400,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington by four lengths, was shipped to Turf Paradise in Phoenix via van on Tuesday.

Trainer Robertino Diodoro said he had no specific plans for Broadway Empire’s next start. Diodoro said that the horse will be sent to California later this month.

Two options for Broadway Empire at Santa Anita are the Twilight Derby or the $100,000 Damascus Stakes at seven furlongs on Nov. 2. A more remote option is the BC Dirt Mile on Nov. 1.

“I want to do what’s right for the horse and not get caught up in all the glamour” of the Breeders’ Cup, Diodoro said. “I’ll have to do some thinking.”

Cal Cup long-range goal for Soi Phet

Soi Phet, the former $16,000 claimer who was third in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes last Saturday, will be pointed for the $250,000 California Cup at Santa Anita in early 2014, trainer Leonard Powell said.

The date for the California Cup, which is being merged with the Sunshine Millions stakes for California-breds, has not been announced. Powell said that Soi Phet could start in the $100,000 Native Diver Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park in December as a prep race.