Santa Anita: San Luis Rey marathon distance within Vagabond Shoes's comfort zone
[bc_video_id:319001:]ARCADIA, Calif. – Distances of turf stakes do not seem to matter to Vagabond Shoes. In the last year he has been effective from the middle distance of 1 1/8 miles to a more testing 1 1/2 miles.
In his 2014 debut, Vagabond Shoes won the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes over 1 1/4 miles on Feb. 8, his second stakes win in the United States. Saturday, Vagabond Shoes will be favored to win the $200,000 San Luis Rey Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on turf at Santa Anita.
Vagabond Shoes has yet to win at the distance but was beaten just 2 1/4 lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Turf here last November. That race has given trainer John Sadler confidence for Saturday’s race.
“I think he can run either distance,” Sadler said. “He got beat just [two] lengths in the Breeders’ Cup against Grade 1 horses. I think he’s very versatile.”
Sadler will attempt to prove that point this year. He hopes to use the San Luis Rey as a prep for the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic over 1 1/8 miles on turf at Churchill Downs on May 3.
“I’d like to run him in this race and take him to Churchill Downs,” Sadler said. “We can get him ready for Del Mar and the fall.”
Vagabond Shoes is part of a field of five in the Grade 2 San Luis Rey. The competition consists of Lucayan, who won the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup in December and was third in the San Marcos; Fire With Fire, who won the Cotton Fitzsimmons Handicap at Turf Paradise in January; Temeraine, a troubled seventh in the San Marcos; and the longshot Niagara Falls.
Sadler said Vagabond Shoes benefited from the three-month break between the BC Turf and the San Marcos.
“It took a lot out of him,” Sadler said. “He ran well in his comeback.”
Vagabond Shoes, who races for Hronis Racing, will be ridden by regular rider Victor Espinoza.
Neil Drysdale trains Fire with Fire and Lucayan. Fire With Fire, third in the 2013 San Luis Rey, is likely to lead, but will need an improved effort to beat Vagabond Shoes and Lucayan.
Drysdale said the small field is a little bit of a concern. “There won’t be much pace in there,” he said.
Lucayan was beaten 1 1/2 lengths in the San Marcos, closing from last in a field of 11 with a wide rally. Last summer, Vagabond Shoes and Lucayan were one-two in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap over 1 3/8 miles.
The San Luis Rey will be the second time jockey Mike Smith has ridden Lucayan. Smith rode Lucayan in the San Marcos.
“I think Mike Smith would have learned a lot riding him,” Drysdale said
Temeraine won the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup over 1 1/2 miles at Kentucky Downs last September, but is winless in three subsequent starts. Temeraine was beaten 3 1/4 lengths by Vagabond Shoes in the San Marcos after encountering trouble in deep stretch.
“He was flying and he got stopped,” trainer Tom Proctor said.
Proctor said earlier this week he is hopeful the 5-year-old Temeraine will be a factor in California’s turf marathon division this year.
“You always hope they can improve whether they’re a $5,000 horse or a Grade 2 horse,” Proctor said.