Santa Anita: Pathfork will be turned loose in turf feature

ARCADIA, Calif. – Pathfork was a disappointing sixth in his U.S. debut, the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 4.

Mistakes were made that day, trainer John Sadler said last weekend, and will not be repeated when Pathfork starts in a $63,000 allowance over a mile on turf on Friday. Expect Pathfork to race near the lead, and not behind horses, he said.

“We thought we fought the horse a little bit in the Arcadia, but this is more of a free-running horse,” Sadler said.

Owned by Silverton Hills Farm, Pathfork has raced on or near the lead in all five of his career starts. The style has worked at times; Pathfork won the Group 1 National Stakes over seven furlongs on turf in Ireland at 2. Conversely, Pathfork could not keep pace with the unbeaten Frankel in the English 2000 Guineas last April, fading to finish seventh.

In the Arcadia, run over a mile on turf, Pathfork was third for the first six furlongs and faded to finish seven lengths behind Mr. Commons.

“He’s worked three times since that race,” Sadler said.

The string of workouts includes a quick five-furlong work on turf in 1:00.40 on Feb. 18.

In Friday’s seventh race, a third-level allowance also open to $80,000 claimers, Pathfork is part of a field of six, but the only Group 1 winner in the field. Joel Rosario, who was aboard in the Arcadia Stakes, retains the mount.

“It’s a chance for us to see how he runs,” Sadler said. “We need to see a strong effort.”

Pathfork drew the outside post, which should work to his advantage if he races forwardly. He could be well-placed near another horse with pace, Sayif, a minor stakes winner at Monmouth Park last July. Sayif was sixth in an allowance race on the hillside turf course on Feb. 9.

Leroy’s Dynameaux, the winner of the Grade 3 Will Rogers Stakes at Hollywood Park in 2010, was third in the same race as Sayif. Trained by Mark Glatt, Leroy’s Dynameaux is winless in eight starts, since taking an optional claimer at Del Mar last July.

The other runners are Dreaminofthewin, Red Defense, and Supreme Summit, all with stakes experience. Dreaminofthewin was third in the Grade 3 Texas Mile last May; Red Defense was third in the Sensational Star Stakes on the hillside turf course on Jan. 28; and Supreme Summit has placed in several sprint stakes.